CRIMINALIZED Synonyms: 55 Similar and Opposite Words

criminalized 1 of 2

adjective

as in prohibited

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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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.

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

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 Since then, a total of 25 states have criminalized or banned gender-affirming care for minors. — Nina Totenberg, NPR, 30 June 2026 TaniHub, a case critics say criminalized standard market risk. — Chandra Asmara, Fortune, 30 June 2026 Chicago would have been the largest city in the Northern Hemisphere without a bus hub, and Greyhound could have moved its Midwest hub to Indiana where reproductive and gender-affirming healthcare are criminalized. — Lena Guerrero Reynolds, Chicago Tribune, 25 June 2026 The investigation unveiled last fall shows the different ends of the spectrum in how sports can be turned and potentially criminalized. — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 2 June 2026 The bill criminalized seditious libel. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 26 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for criminalized

Adjective

There is, however, room for questions about where the line between prohibited and acceptable political involvement will fall in practice.

— BrieAnna J. Frank, USA Today, 11 July 2025
The list of prohibited and restricted items, as found on the CBP website, includes alcohol, biological materials, firearms, food and produce such as fruits and vegetables, soil, wildlife, fish, and gold, among other items.

— Dan Perry, Newsweek, 28 Feb. 2025

Definition of prohibited

Adjective

More recently, mathematicians have been able to adapt Erdős’ method to get better estimates of Ramsey numbers where the forbidden cliques differ vastly in size.

— Leila Sloman, Quanta Magazine, 26 June 2026
And thank God for that, because forbidden love is my favorite type of drama to watch on Love Island.

— Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 16 June 2026

Definition of forbidden

Verb

Concerned that the programs’ growing sophistication could induce emotional dependency and addiction, China last week banned minors from using AI companions and imposed additional requirements on platforms to prevent misuse.

— Stephanie Yang, CNN Money, 23 July 2026
Former Australia soccer captain Paul Wade says he has been diagnosed with probable chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and has renewed his calls for all players under the age of 12 to be banned from heading the ball.

— ABC News, ABC News, 22 July 2026

Definition of banned

Adjective

Bhagwanpuria allegedly oversaw and directed the global activities of the group from a jail cell in India, using contraband cellphones and other voiceover internet protocol devices, according to the indictment.

— Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026
The indictment also charges four current and former federal inmates accused of coordinating drops using contraband cellphones.

— Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 24 June 2026

Definition of contraband

Adjective

The roommate, Maria Ortiz, 60, was struggling against a barred window, screaming for help, when firefighters in a tower ladder truck cut the bars and pulled her out.

— Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 23 May 2026
The motions of stellar streams contain clues to how our barred spiral galaxy evolved over billions of years, including through collisions with other galactic realms.

— Frank Landymore, Futurism, 26 Feb. 2026

Definition of barred

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“Criminalized.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/criminalized. Accessed 24 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of criminalized

adjective

verb

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