Definition of "criminalization" [criminalization]

• The act of making a previously legal activity illegal. (noun)

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• "The subtle use of legal pressure to silence dissent in Arab countries, and what it describes as the criminalization of journalism in Russia and central Asia."
• "We'll be taking you to Phoenix, Atlanta, and Los Angeles, where tens of thousands marched in support of amnesty for illegal aliens and protesting what they call criminalization of illegal immigration."
• "The result is what they call the criminalization of unacceptable but otherwise normal rebellious behavior."