criminalize
verb (used with object)
to make punishable as a crime.
criminalized
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past participleof criminalize.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
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past tense formof criminalize.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
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.
He was also gay at a time when homosexuality was criminalized in Britain.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2025
I want L.A. to be a city where people are not criminalized because of where they live, where they’re not forced to live in top-down solutions that don’t work for them.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2025
During Epstein’s lifetime, homosexuality was criminalized in Great Britain, forcing him to live a closeted lifestyle.
From Salon ● Jan. 23, 2025
Cimino asked: “Why is she criminalized for the act that he did?”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 7, 2025
This sort of activity had not yet been publicized, much less criminalized.
From The Hacker Crackdown, law and disorder on the electronic frontier by Bruce Sterling
