criminalize
verb (used with object)
to make punishable as a crime.
has criminalized
-
present perfectof criminalize (3rd person singular).present perfect
Used to describe actions that started in the past and continue into or have direct relevance to the present.
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.
Illinois, like nearly all states in recent decades, has criminalized hazing.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 18, 2023
Brazil’s Supreme Court has criminalized transphobia and scrapped barriers to trans people officially changing their name and sex.
From New York Times ● Jul. 2, 2022
In New York state, the legislature has criminalized chokeholds, formally empowered the state attorney general to investigate police killings of unarmed civilians, and ended measures that had prevented the release of police disciplinary records.
From Salon ● Jul. 13, 2020
Congress has criminalized computer hacking in the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986.
From Slate ● Sep. 5, 2017
This trend has criminalized the entire police force," says Joshi, "It has serious implications for our democracy, for our social fabric, for our criminal justice system.
From Time Magazine Archive
