criminalize
verb
crim·i·nal·ize
ˈkri-mə-nə-ˌlīz 
ˈkrim-nə-ˌlīz
criminalized; criminalizing
: to make illegal
also
: to turn into a criminal or treat as criminal
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
Along with Jim Crow laws that criminalized Blackness, the loophole allowed for the legal re-enslavement of Black Americans to financially benefit the state.
—
Julia Bowling, The Conversation, 29 May 2026
Other initiatives have become a flashpoint in an ongoing battle over funding the Department of Homeland Security, which is ICE’s parent agency, including allowing officers to wear masks while in public and trying to criminalize the recording and publishing of video of their operations.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 28 May 2026
Critics worry that the buffer zones could be used to quell nonviolent demonstrations or criminalize free speech.
—CBS News, 28 May 2026
The bill also criminalizes interior design.
—Doug McCauley, Oc Register, 27 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for criminalize
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.
Julia Bowling, The Conversation, 29 May 2026
Other initiatives have become a flashpoint in an ongoing battle over funding the Department of Homeland Security, which is ICE’s parent agency, including allowing officers to wear masks while in public and trying to criminalize the recording and publishing of video of their operations.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 28 May 2026
Critics worry that the buffer zones could be used to quell nonviolent demonstrations or criminalize free speech.
—CBS News, 28 May 2026
The bill also criminalizes interior design.
—Doug McCauley, Oc Register, 27 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for criminalize
Cite this Entry
“Criminalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/criminalize. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
criminalize
transitive verb
crim·i·nal·ize
ˈkri-mə-nə-ˌlīz
criminalized; criminalizing
: to make criminal : outlaw
the statute criminalizing the use of contraceptives—R. H. Bork
compare illegalize
R. H. BorkLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
