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Definition of "criminalize" [criminalize]

  • To impose a criminal penalty on or for; outlaw. (verb-transitive)
  • To treat as a criminal. (verb-transitive)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "criminalize" in a sentence
  • "Any act the new laws criminalize is effectively illegal already."
  • "It's worth noting that the U.N. Security Council, in its reaction to the September 11 attacks, obliged member states to "criminalize" terrorist attacks - not to declare war on terrorists."
  • "Security Council, in its reaction to the September 11 attacks, obliged member states to "criminalize" terrorist attacks - not to declare war on terrorists."