criminalize
verb /ˈkrɪmɪnəlaɪz/
/ˈkrɪmɪnəlaɪz/
(British English also criminalise)
Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they criminalize | /ˈkrɪmɪnəlaɪz/ /ˈkrɪmɪnəlaɪz/ |
| he / she / it criminalizes | /ˈkrɪmɪnəlaɪzɪz/ /ˈkrɪmɪnəlaɪzɪz/ |
| past simple criminalized | /ˈkrɪmɪnəlaɪzd/ /ˈkrɪmɪnəlaɪzd/ |
| past participle criminalized | /ˈkrɪmɪnəlaɪzd/ /ˈkrɪmɪnəlaɪzd/ |
| -ing form criminalizing | /ˈkrɪmɪnəlaɪzɪŋ/ /ˈkrɪmɪnəlaɪzɪŋ/ |
- criminalize something to make something illegal by passing a new law
- The use of opium was not criminalized until fairly recently.
- criminalize somebody to make somebody a criminal by making their activities illegal
- The law criminalized parents who took their children out of school to go on holiday.