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
India 🇮🇳 A farmer in California's Imperial Valley, Saund was a major lobbyist for Congress to legalize naturalization of Indian citizens.
—
Alex Knapp, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
The outposts are built without permission from Israeli authorities, who sometimes dismantle them but often turn a blind eye or even legalize them retroactively.
—Julia Frankel, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2026
In her opinion Tuesday, Marks said that her ruling may not spare Lee from either of those methods or the the firing squad should Alabama decide to legalize it.
—Abigail Brooks, NBC news, 10 June 2026
The country decided to legalize half a million undocumented migrants.
—Simon Constable, FOXNews.com, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for legalize
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.
Alex Knapp, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
The outposts are built without permission from Israeli authorities, who sometimes dismantle them but often turn a blind eye or even legalize them retroactively.
—Julia Frankel, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2026
In her opinion Tuesday, Marks said that her ruling may not spare Lee from either of those methods or the the firing squad should Alabama decide to legalize it.
—Abigail Brooks, NBC news, 10 June 2026
The country decided to legalize half a million undocumented migrants.
—Simon Constable, FOXNews.com, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for legalize
Cite this Entry
“Legalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/legalize. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
