criminalize
verb
crim·i·nal·ize
ˈkri-mə-nə-ˌlīz 
ˈkrim-nə-ˌlīz
criminalized; criminalizing
: to make illegal
also
: to turn into a criminal or treat as criminal
Examples of criminalize in a Sentence
a law that criminalized alcohol
wanted to criminalize an activity that the mountaineers had been engaging in for generations
Recent Examples on the Web
The bill extends an original ban put in place in 2004 which criminalized commercial surrogacy within Italy.
—
Jasmine Baehr, Fox News, 17 Oct. 2024
To address this, governments and organizations must develop and enforce robust legal frameworks that criminalize malicious use of deepfakes.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
But for hunters and anglers, the amendment serves as a political shield against movements like those in Oregon and elsewhere to criminalize some forms of hunting.
—Patrik Jonsson, The Christian Science Monitor, 13 Dec. 2024
Philippine law criminalizes public remarks that may constitute a crime of threatening to inflict a wrong on a person or his family, which is punishable by jail time and a fine.
—Chris Pandolfo, Fox News, 23 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for criminalize 
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Jasmine Baehr, Fox News, 17 Oct. 2024
To address this, governments and organizations must develop and enforce robust legal frameworks that criminalize malicious use of deepfakes.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
But for hunters and anglers, the amendment serves as a political shield against movements like those in Oregon and elsewhere to criminalize some forms of hunting.
—Patrik Jonsson, The Christian Science Monitor, 13 Dec. 2024
Philippine law criminalizes public remarks that may constitute a crime of threatening to inflict a wrong on a person or his family, which is punishable by jail time and a fine.
—Chris Pandolfo, Fox News, 23 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for criminalize
Dictionary Entries Near criminalize
Cite this Entry
“Criminalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/criminalize. Accessed 2 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
criminalize
transitive verb
crim·i·nal·ize
ˈkri-mə-nə-ˌlīz
criminalized; criminalizing
: to make criminal : outlaw
the statute criminalizing the use of contraceptives—R. H. Bork
compare illegalize
R. H. BorkLove words? Need even more definitions?
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