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
As outrage over the verdict catalyzed activist campaigns into criminalizing spousal rape in every state (only achieved, with many loopholes, in 1993) the town of Salem, Oregon just wanted to move on.
—
Sarah Weinman, Rolling Stone, 9 Nov. 2025
It is criminalized, typically as reckless endangerment, but isn’t categorized in the minds of normal people as a social crime.
—Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 8 Nov. 2025
The Islamic Penal Code still criminalizes forgoing the hijab, as does other legislation.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 7 Nov. 2025
Soon after slavery was outlawed, Southern states began enacting vagrancy laws and other discriminatory policies and using them to criminalize and re-enslave Black people.
—Equal Justice Initiative, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for criminalize
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Sarah Weinman, Rolling Stone, 9 Nov. 2025
It is criminalized, typically as reckless endangerment, but isn’t categorized in the minds of normal people as a social crime.
—Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 8 Nov. 2025
The Islamic Penal Code still criminalizes forgoing the hijab, as does other legislation.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 7 Nov. 2025
Soon after slavery was outlawed, Southern states began enacting vagrancy laws and other discriminatory policies and using them to criminalize and re-enslave Black people.
—Equal Justice Initiative, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for criminalize
Cite this Entry
“Criminalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/criminalize. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
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?
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