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
Since medical cannabis was first legalized in Colorado in 1996, nearly half the country has legalized marijuana for recreational use.
—
Kerry Breen, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2024
In the eight years since marijuana was legalized in California for recreational use, 420 has been like a weed Black Friday.
—Christian Orozco, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2024
Elk Grove, a booming economy and suburb of Sacramento, initially disregarded the cannabis industry, outlawing dispensaries in the city limits in 2017 after recreational use was legalized by California’s Prop. 64 in 2016.
—Marcus D. Smith, Sacramento Bee, 19 Apr. 2024
Since recreational cannabis consumption for adults was legalized in Arizona in 2020, marijuana has become even more popular in the state.
—The Arizona Republic, 19 Apr. 2024
Delaware legalized recreational use and sales for adults 21 and over in April 2023.
—Kate Linderman, Miami Herald, 19 Apr. 2024
Smoking devices such as e-cigarettes and vape pens are legal in Texas, but what about when those devices utilize THC instead of tobacco?
While many states have legalized marijuana for recreational use, Texas has not.
—Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Apr. 2024
Although some jurisdictions have decriminalized or legalized the substance, it is still prohibited in some places.
—Sponsored Content, The Mercury News, 12 Apr. 2024
Instead, family members and longtime friends joined the stage as speakers stood and remembered Sinclair and others who devoted their lives to the fight to legalize marijuana.
—Kylie Martin, Detroit Free Press, 7 Apr. 2024
Kerry Breen, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2024
In the eight years since marijuana was legalized in California for recreational use, 420 has been like a weed Black Friday.
—Christian Orozco, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2024
Elk Grove, a booming economy and suburb of Sacramento, initially disregarded the cannabis industry, outlawing dispensaries in the city limits in 2017 after recreational use was legalized by California’s Prop. 64 in 2016.
—Marcus D. Smith, Sacramento Bee, 19 Apr. 2024
Since recreational cannabis consumption for adults was legalized in Arizona in 2020, marijuana has become even more popular in the state.
—The Arizona Republic, 19 Apr. 2024
Delaware legalized recreational use and sales for adults 21 and over in April 2023.
—Kate Linderman, Miami Herald, 19 Apr. 2024
Smoking devices such as e-cigarettes and vape pens are legal in Texas, but what about when those devices utilize THC instead of tobacco?
While many states have legalized marijuana for recreational use, Texas has not.
—Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Apr. 2024
Although some jurisdictions have decriminalized or legalized the substance, it is still prohibited in some places.
—Sponsored Content, The Mercury News, 12 Apr. 2024
Instead, family members and longtime friends joined the stage as speakers stood and remembered Sinclair and others who devoted their lives to the fight to legalize marijuana.
—Kylie Martin, Detroit Free Press, 7 Apr. 2024
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 24 Apr. 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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