'immobilize' originates from French, specifically the word 'immobiliser,' where 'im-' meant 'not' and 'mobiliser' meant 'to move.'

'immobiliser' transformed into the English word 'immobilize' and eventually became the modern English word 'immobilizing' through the addition of the present participle suffix '-ing'.

Initially, it meant 'to make something unable to move,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.