legalize

especially British, le·gal·ise

[lee-guh-lahyz]

verb (used with object)

legalized, legalizing 

1. to make legal; authorize.

legalize

/ ˈliːɡəˌlaɪz /

verb

1. to make lawful or legal

2. to confirm or validate (something previously unlawful)

Other Word Forms

• legalization noun
• unlegalized adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of legalize¹

First recorded in 1710–20; legal + -ize

Example Sentences

However, if those states end up legalizing sports betting, the company said, it will stop offering sports-prediction markets and offer its traditional sports-betting platform instead.

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The Supreme Court legalized sports betting on the federal level in a landmark decision in 2018, leaving it up to state governments to decide both whether to allow sports gambling and how to regulate it.

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In 2021, the Argentine government legalized the procedure for the first time and dropped all criminal charges against women accused of having them.

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Those countries legalized euthanasia for patients terminally ill with, say, cancer, at the turn of the 21st century—then expanded it to include those who say their psychiatric conditions are incurable and unbearable.

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In late September, Culver City became the first municipality in California to legalize the construction of mid-rise apartment buildings with a single staircase.

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Related Words

• approve 
• authorize 
• codify 
• constitute 
• decriminalize 
• enact 
• permit 
• regulate