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Synonyms

illegalize

American  
[ih-lee-guh-lahyz] / ɪˈli gəˌlaɪz /
especially British, illegalise

verb (used with object)

illegalized, illegalizing

  1. to make illegal.

    They even wanted to illegalize smoking.
illegalize British  
/ ɪˈliːɡəˌlaɪz /

verb

  1. (tr) to make illegal

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • illegalization noun

Etymology

Origin of illegalize

First recorded in 1810–20; illegal + -ize

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.

Which leaves us with one moral option: illegalize it, the whole operation.

From The Guardian • Jan. 4, 2016

Or we illegalize the thing we do not want others to do.

From Little Journeys to the Homes of the Great, Volume 7 Little Journeys to the Homes of Eminent Orators by Hubbard, Elbert

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.