criminalize
verb (used with object)
to make punishable as a crime.
criminalizing
-
present participleof criminalize.present participle
A verb form that is used in progressive verb constructions and may also function as a modifier or a gerund.
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.
"I've been doing this work for 30 years" yet the authorities "still haven't succeeded in criminalizing me," said Ramos, who is based in Nuevo Laredo, in the troubled state of Tamaulipas.
From Barron's ● May 14, 2026
If he was right, the recently disclosed battles over criminalizing noncriminal conduct may be the beginning of the process.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 26, 2025
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, for example, rejected criminalizing homelessness as “backwards” in June 2024.
From Salon ● Aug. 12, 2025
Texas, it was key to invalidating laws criminalizing same-sex intimacy.
From Slate ● Apr. 17, 2025
The state refused to step in to aid the movie companies by criminalizing the new technology.
From The Public Domain Enclosing the Commons of the Mind by Boyle, James
