LEGALIZING Synonyms: 59 Similar and Opposite Words

legalizing

verb

present participle of legalize

as in sanctioning

to make (something) legal They wanted to legalize gambling in their city.

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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 legalizing Rantzen was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer in 2023 and went on to become a prominent campaigner for legalizing assisted dying in the UK. — Jake Kanter, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2026 The day after Markey’s death, the Illinois law legalizing MAID took effect. — Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026 The British Parliament has voted against legalizing assisted suicide services for adults, successfully blocking a bill that was filibustered out of time before the April recess. — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 11 Sep. 2026 Bass proposed legalizing vacation rentals in her budget this year, though the proposal was removed from the budget by the City Council. — Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026 Its Supreme Court has rejected draft exemptions for ultra-Orthodox Jews and overturned a law legalizing settler homes built on private Palestinian land. — Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026 Last year, the mayor’s office commissioned a report from Christiansen Capitol Advisors LLC on the potential fiscal impacts of legalizing VGT gambling in Chicago. — Joe Ferguson, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026 Two states will vote on ballot measures legalizing marijuana in the November midterms. — Morgan Chalfant, semafor.com, 24 Aug. 2026 Virginia rightfully rejected legalizing online casinos this past spring, recognizing the threat of putting a 24/7 slot machine within arm’s reach of every state resident. — Brianne Doura-Schawohl, Baltimore Sun, 19 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for legalizing

Verb

In addition to sanctioning Brito and Epstein, Williams also ordered a copy of her order to be sent to the New York State Bar Association, of which acting Attorney General Todd Blanche is a member.

— Dan Mangan, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2026
Tony Forte, president of USAngling, the sanctioning body, said the tournament will be a showcase to persuade the International Olympic Committee to include bass fishing at the Summer Olympics.

— Bryan Hendricks, Arkansas Online, 27 Sep. 2026

Definition of sanctioning

Verb

But environmentalists are concerned about data centers developing on federal lands to skirt environmental protections and laws and circumvent permitting processes.

— Jessica Hill, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
The guidelines avoided mandatory government licensing, preclearance, thus permitting development before the release of the latest AI models.

— John Caruso, Hartford Courant, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of permitting

Verb

Despite allowing Israel a free hand in waging its war, US president Joe Biden could not convince Netanyahu to allow aid into Gaza through Israel or even one of the Egyptian crossing points.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Oct. 2026
If demand for workers fell, wages could fall too, making workers cheaper to hire and allowing the labor market to balance supply and demand.

— Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of allowing

Verb

Bristol is the latest community to join a growing list of towns and cities across the state approving the use of new red-light cameras, officials said.

— Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 2026
Humans also remain responsible for context-dependent decisions such as data classification, access policies, archiving and approving higher-risk system changes.

— Paul Speciale, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of approving

Verb

Running stress trials Safety agencies require strict experimental proof before licensing advanced reactor designs.

— Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
China is looking to tighten biotechnology exports, but will leave the door open for licensing deals with foreign drugmakers that have underpinned its position as a growing pharmaceutical powerhouse, Bloomberg Law reports.

— Ed Silverman, STAT, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of licensing

Verb

Powering the lunar economy Cabauy believes reliable long-duration power would become one of the key enabling technologies behind a permanent human presence on the Moon.

— Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026
The same day, Stripe announced Muse integration with Link, enabling instant checkout at more than 1 million businesses and use of single-use virtual cards.

— Lauren Schuster, Sacbee.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of enabling

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legalizes

legalizing

legally

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“Legalizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/legalizing. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of legalizing

verb

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