criminalize

verb

crim·​i·​nal·​ize ˈkri-mə-nə-ˌlīz How to pronounce criminalize (audio)
ˈkrim-nə-ˌlīz
criminalized; criminalizing

transitive verb

: to make illegal
also : to turn into a criminal or treat as criminal
criminalization
ˌkri-mə-nə-lə-ˈzā-shən How to pronounce criminalize (audio)
ˌkrim-nə-lə-ˈzā-
noun

Examples of criminalize in a Sentence

a law that criminalized alcohol wanted to criminalize an activity that the mountaineers had been engaging in for generations
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Disputed claims of 'genocide' in South Africa Genocide is defined in the Genocide Convention, an international treaty that criminalizes genocide, as the killing of members of a group because of their race, religion or national origin, as in the Holocaust. Bart Jansen, USA Today, 22 May 2025 Instead of addressing the state’s public health emergency, Georgia’s leaders have doubled down on cruel, dehumanizing policies that criminalize pregnancy and control women’s bodies. Jameelah Nasheed, Essence, 21 May 2025 Now, after months of outcry, a federal law criminalizing the sharing of those images is finally coming. Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 19 May 2025 But criminalizing stillness isn’t a solution to homelessness. Tanner Brown, Baltimore Sun, 13 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for criminalize

Word History

Etymology

criminal entry 1 + -ize

First Known Use

circa 1956, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of criminalize was circa 1956

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Criminalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/criminalize. Accessed 29 May. 2025.

Legal Definition

criminalize

transitive verb
crim·​i·​nal·​ize ˈkri-mə-nə-ˌlīz How to pronounce criminalize (audio)
criminalized; criminalizing
: to make criminal : outlaw
the statute criminalizing the use of contraceptivesR. H. Bork
compare illegalize
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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