decriminalize
verb (used with object)
to eliminate criminal penalties for or remove legal restrictions against.
have decriminalized
-
present perfectof decriminalize.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.
Elsewhere in Latin America, courts in Colombia and Ecuador have decriminalized euthanasia without passing laws to legalize the practice, while Cuba allows for terminal patients to refuse being kept alive artificially.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2025
Schiff voted for bills that would have decriminalized marijuana nationally and ended the federal sentencing disparity between drug offenses involving crack and powder cocaine.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 9, 2024
She then moved on to a fixation on whether the code would have decriminalized public urination.
From Salon ● Mar. 30, 2023
Food safety experts have said that the FDA has been in an impossible situation as states have decriminalized marijuana — which remains illegal under federal law — and related products have gained popularity.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 26, 2023
While some countries, including South Africa and Angola, have decriminalized homosexuality, it remains illegal in the majority of nations on the continent.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 29, 2021
