legalize

1 of 2

verb

le·​gal·​ize ˈlē-gə-ˌlīz 

legalized; legalizing

transitive verb

: to make legal

especially : to give legal validity or sanction to

legalization

ˌlē-gə-lə-ˈzā-shən 

noun

legalizer

ˈlē-gə-ˌlī-zər 

noun

legalization

2 of 2

noun

le·​gal·​iza·​tion

variants also British legalisation

ˌlēgələ̇ˈzāshən -līˈz- sometimes ˌlig-

plural -s

: the act of legalizing : the state of being or having been legalized

the legalization of the employment of the navy in enforcing the laws of trade

—Edinburgh Review

legalization of a document to be submitted in evidence

Examples of legalize in a Sentence

Verb

They wanted to legalize gambling in their city.

The government has legalized the use of the new drug.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Although the North African nation has legalized cannabis cultivation for medical and industrial purposes, drug trafficking remains deeply entrenched. — ABC News, 26 June 2026

Gambling disorder diagnoses rose more than 60% since 2018 in states that have legalized sports betting, a new study found. — Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 26 June 2026

Instead, Virginia legalized the front end of adult use without opening the front door of the industry. — Peter Su, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026

The City Council approved legalizing VGTs as part of its late 2025 budget. — Cbs Chicago Team, CBS News, 25 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

circa 1652, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for legalize

• advertise
• aggrandize
• alibis
• alkalies
• alkalis
• amortize
• amplifies
• analyse
• analyze
• anywise
• authorize
• butterflies

Kids Definition

legalize

verb

le·​gal·​ize ˈlē-gə-ˌlīz 

legalized; legalizing

: to make legal

wanted to legalize gambling in their city

legalization

ˌlē-gə-lə-ˈzā-shən 

noun

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