Synonyms of criminalized

criminalized 1 of 2

adjective

as in prohibited

Related Words

• prohibited
• forbidden
• proscribed
• outlawed
• disallowed
• contraband
• barred
• discouraged
• banned
• unauthorized
• interdicted
• smuggled
• unlicensed
• unapproved
• criminal
• unsanctioned
• illegal
• illicit
• unlawful
• bootleg
• under-the-table
• wrongful
• improper
• felonious
• under-the-counter
• illegitimate

Dissimilar Words

• permitted
• authorized
• licensed
• endorsed
• approved
• promoted
• allowed
• supported
• legal
• sanctioned
• legitimate
• correct
• suggested
• lawful
• proper
• encouraged
• decent
• decorous
• abetted
• seemly

criminalized

2 of 2

verb

past tense of criminalize

as in outlawed

to make or declare contrary to the law

wanted to criminalize an activity that the mountaineers had been engaging in for generations

Synonyms & Similar Words

• outlawed
• banned
• illegalized
• prohibited
• proscribed
• forbade
• enjoined
• barred
• interdicted

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• legalized
• permitted
• let
• decriminalized
• allowed
• suffered
• approved
• sanctioned
• endorsed

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of criminalized

Adjective

But first McCarty needed a sense of how many women were imprisoned at Mabel Bassett for crimes tied to their own abuse — a phenomenon that sentencing-reform advocates call criminalized survivorship. — Pamela Colloff, ProPublica, 24 Mar. 2026

Isaias Medina, an international lawyer and former Venezuelan diplomat who denounced his own government at the International Criminal Court, described Venezuela as a criminalized state dominated by narcotrafficking networks. — Solly Boussidan , Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 7 Dec. 2025

Verb

Pollari wrote much of the rock song in Polari, which is a historical British cant invented by gay men to speak openly in public while homosexuality was criminalized between the 16th and 19th centuries. — Daniela Avila, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2026

The Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 effectively criminalized what until then had been legal cannabis. — Bob Woods, CNBC, 15 Aug. 2026

Leno said the bill ensures classic car owners aren’t criminalized for driving their vehicles on a limited basis. — Sofia Williams, Sacbee.com, 13 Aug. 2026

Her lobbying resulted in legislation which surely was good for society—for instance, the 1978 Protection of Children Act, which criminalized child pornography. — Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026

Only Scorpio is still open, but both served as important spaces for LGBTQ+ people during a time when homosexuality was criminalized. — Charlotte Observer, 11 Aug. 2026

Nicaragua’s last election in 2021 was widely disputed after Ortega detained opponents and business leaders and criminalized dissent. — CNN Money, 21 July 2026

The case drew condemnation from governments and human rights organizations, which argued the charges criminalized artistic expression and political dissent. — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 20 July 2026

The code criminalized traditional healers, who could be jailed for offering spiritual guidance. — Kerri J. Malloy, The Conversation, 9 July 2026