legalize
verb
le·gal·ize
ˈlē-gə-ˌlīz 
legalized; legalizing
: to make legal
especially
: to give legal validity or sanction to
Examples of legalize in a Sentence
They wanted to legalize gambling in their city.
The government has legalized the use of the new drug.
Recent Examples on the Web
Climate & Environment Despite the spread of bird flu, lawmakers in some states are pushing to legalize raw milk
June 4, 2024
Tests of commercial milk conducted last month showed genetic fragments of the virus in 20% of samples.
—
Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2024
Many states were happy to legalize sports gambling, enticed by the opportunity for more tax revenue.
—Jared Bahir Browsh, The Conversation, 10 May 2024
Unlike Kansas’s border states, however, Kansas does not have a way to legalize marijuana through ballot-initiative referendums unless state lawmakers first approve.
—Jenna Barackman, Kansas City Star, 9 May 2024
In a dramatic example of government yielding to public opinion the Senate has introduced legislation to legalize cannabis on the federal level.
—Dr. Jeffrey Lieberman, TIME, 3 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for legalize 
Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2024
Many states were happy to legalize sports gambling, enticed by the opportunity for more tax revenue.
—Jared Bahir Browsh, The Conversation, 10 May 2024
Unlike Kansas’s border states, however, Kansas does not have a way to legalize marijuana through ballot-initiative referendums unless state lawmakers first approve.
—Jenna Barackman, Kansas City Star, 9 May 2024
In a dramatic example of government yielding to public opinion the Senate has introduced legislation to legalize cannabis on the federal level.
—Dr. Jeffrey Lieberman, TIME, 3 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for legalize
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'legalize.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Legalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/legalize. Accessed 12 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
legalize
verb
le·gal·ize
ˈlē-gə-ˌlīz
legalized; legalizing
: to make legal
wanted to legalize gambling in their city
Legal Definition
legalize
transitive verb
le·gal·ize
ˈlē-gə-ˌlīz
legalized; legalizing
: to make legal
especially
: to give legal validity or sanction to
legalization
noun
legalizer
noun
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