Explanation
Criminalization is the act of making something criminal, or making it against the law. When the U.S. Congress made it illegal to consume or sell alcohol in 1920, that criminalization of drinking ushered in a historic period known as Prohibition. Any activity can be criminalized, or go through a process of criminalization. When Sleeping Beauty's parents banished shuttlecocks and spinning wheels from their fairy tale kingdom, that was the criminalization of spinning. The word can also apply more generally to not just to the outlawed activity, but to people or practices associated with it. Thus, a law making it a crime to eat candy might be called "the criminalization of Halloween." And crime or not, that's just wrong.
Vocabulary lists containing criminalization
Words with 15 or More Letters, List 5
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crim, crimin (judgement; accusation)
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crim, crimin
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Since the announcement, there’s been an air of fear among advocates, outreach staff, and people sleeping outside about whether this would be a turning point in D.C.’s criminalization of homelessness.
From Slate • Sep. 1, 2025
Critics have argued that such criminalization is a cruel distraction and that more affordable housing is the only way to meaningfully address the crisis.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 28, 2024
Pregnancy Justice underscores how criminalization tends to sweep more and more broadly.
From Slate • Oct. 2, 2024
On Tuesday July 23, now-Deputy Prime Minister Charnvirakul announced that criminalization was called off; instead, the government agreed to go forward with regulation and would hold meetings with relevant stakeholders.
From Salon • Aug. 7, 2024
With Grants Pass before the court, now is a good time to remind ourselves that criminalization was and continues to be a policy decision — a choice.
From Seattle Times • Jan. 31, 2024
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
