criminalize

American  

[krim-uh-nl-ahyz] / ˈkrɪm ə nlˌaɪz /

especially British, criminalise

verb (used with object)

criminalized, criminalizing

1. to make punishable as a crime.

   To reduce the graffiti on subway cars, he wants to criminalize the selling of spray paint to minors.

2. to make a criminal of.

   Drug use has criminalized him.

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criminalize British  

/ ˈkrɪmɪnəˌlaɪz /

verb

1. to make (an action or activity) criminal

2. to treat (a person) as a criminal

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Other Word Forms

• criminalization noun
• recriminalization noun
• recriminalize verb (used with object)

Etymology

Origin of criminalize

First recorded in 1955–60; criminal + -ize

Example Sentences

Congress can certainly criminalize smuggling directed at our shores.

From The Wall Street Journal

He proposes to protect the country’s border using electronic surveillance and digital controls and to criminalize illegal entry.

From The Wall Street Journal

Elham Jalayer, harm reduction director with the social services group Bienestar, said a fence would further criminalize the homeless and give the city an excuse to push people out of the neighborhood.

From Los Angeles Times

City staff originally proposed directing sheriff officers to ensure the city was free of encampments, while also making sure those efforts did not “criminalize individuals living unhoused.”

From Los Angeles Times

Approximately 45 states, including New Jersey, have passed legislation that criminalizes AI-generated or modified images of this kind.

From The Wall Street Journal