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
Hemp was effectively legalized by the 2018 federal farm bill.
—
Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 12 Sep. 2024
After 2018, when the Supreme Court overturned a nationwide ban on the practice that had permitted only Nevada to host sports books, it was legalized by 38 states and the District of Columbia; 30 of those states allow online sports gambling.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2024
The bottom line: If there's $800 million of demand with all the friction involved in cryptocurrency transactions, there could be much more if election markets are legalized.
—Felix Salmon, Axios, 10 Sep. 2024
Federal legislation that legalized hemp in 2018 opened the door for intoxicating hemp products nationwide, however, prompting the need for regulations to govern their sale and keep them out of the hands of children.
—A.j. Herrington, Forbes, 10 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for legalize 
Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 12 Sep. 2024
After 2018, when the Supreme Court overturned a nationwide ban on the practice that had permitted only Nevada to host sports books, it was legalized by 38 states and the District of Columbia; 30 of those states allow online sports gambling.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2024
The bottom line: If there's $800 million of demand with all the friction involved in cryptocurrency transactions, there could be much more if election markets are legalized.
—Felix Salmon, Axios, 10 Sep. 2024
Federal legislation that legalized hemp in 2018 opened the door for intoxicating hemp products nationwide, however, prompting the need for regulations to govern their sale and keep them out of the hands of children.
—A.j. Herrington, Forbes, 10 Sep. 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 19 Sep. 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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