fossilized
adjective
fos·sil·ized
ˈfä-sə-ˌlīzd 
1
: having been changed into a fossil : subjected to fossilization
fossilized wood
And in 1997 he found several thousand fossilized eggs from a giant sauropod, or plant-eating dinosaur, just 120 miles north. The find included the first-known fossilized dinosaur embryos, as bits of fossilized dino-skin.—
Eric Niiler
Eric Niiler2
: old and unchanging or outmoded
fossilized notions
As the mountains get higher, the houses become tin-roof shacks, with yards full of fossilized appliances and ancient cars.—Elizabeth Gilbert
: made firm, fixed, or rigid by the passage of time
Elizabeth GilbertI love the living language more than the fossilized variety with its hardened meanings and set-in-stone lexicon.—Paul McFedries
Paul McFedriesI know when I took photos in the past I was looking either for particularly artistic shots or ones that might become fossilized memories adorning a mantel.—Robert W. Lucky
Robert W. LuckyExamples of fossilized in a Sentence
fossilized notions about the proper place of women in society
Recent Examples on the Web
For nearly two centuries, its true identity eluded scientists, as fossilized remains revealed a structure that defied classification.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
The researchers collected statistical information from museum databases from New York, Colorado, and Calgary for the purposes of analyzing tiny fossilized bones and shifting locomotor behavior through time.
—Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 2 Apr. 2025
After making a splash in early 2025 with the identification of its 183-million-year-old fossilized skin, the plesiosaur fossil MH7 (Holzmaden specimen), uncovered in Germany, is making headlines again.
—Monica Cull, Discover Magazine, 31 Mar. 2025
Unlocking Mars’ ancient secrets Its mission is to search for ancient life, like fossilized microbes, and uncover clues about our solar system’s origins.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fossilized
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Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
The researchers collected statistical information from museum databases from New York, Colorado, and Calgary for the purposes of analyzing tiny fossilized bones and shifting locomotor behavior through time.
—Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 2 Apr. 2025
After making a splash in early 2025 with the identification of its 183-million-year-old fossilized skin, the plesiosaur fossil MH7 (Holzmaden specimen), uncovered in Germany, is making headlines again.
—Monica Cull, Discover Magazine, 31 Mar. 2025
Unlocking Mars’ ancient secrets Its mission is to search for ancient life, like fossilized microbes, and uncover clues about our solar system’s origins.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fossilized
Cite this Entry
“Fossilized.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fossilized. Accessed 19 Apr. 2025.
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