legalize

[ lee-guh-lahyz ]

/ ˈli gəˌlaɪz /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR legalize ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), le·gal·ized, le·gal·iz·ing.

to make legal; authorize.

QUIZZES

Discover The Influence Of Portuguese On English Via This Quiz!

We’ve gathered some interesting words donated to English from Portuguese … as well as some that just don’t translate at all. Do you know what they mean?

Question 1 of 11

Which of the following animal names traces its immediate origin to Portuguese?

owl

crow

piranha

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Words nearby legalize

legal-size, legalese, legalism, legalistic, legality, legalize, leganés, legaspi, legate, legatee, legatine

Also especially British, le·gal·ise.

Origin of legalize

First recorded in 1710–20; legal + -ize

OTHER WORDS FROM legalize

le·gal·i·za·tion, nounun·le·gal·ized, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for legalize

The first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage, Denmark still waves its banner high.
The Ultimate LGBT Travel Bucket List||December 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The residents of Arkansas decide Tuesday whether to legalize the sale of an intoxicating substance statewide.
Will Arkansas’ Prohibition Finally End?|Jack Holmes|November 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Despite the obvious appeal, the odds are long that Arkansas will legalize alcohol statewide in 2014.
Will Arkansas’ Prohibition Finally End?|Jack Holmes|November 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
If the president takes unilateral action to legalize millions of people, King said, “it will create a constitutional crisis.”
Steve King: GOP Congress Should Keep Repealing Obamacare|Ben Jacobs|October 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST

To paraphrase Peter Tosh, if Illinois were to legalize it, would you advertise it?
The Chicago Bulls’ Joakim Noah Sounds Off on Weed, the Weather, and Winning|Bill Schulz|October 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But we are told that the courts will not respect this law, for the reason that it seeks to legalize trespass.
Prairie Farmer, Vol. 56: No. 4, January 26, 1884|Various
A final effort to legalize slavery in Nova Scotia was made in 1808.
The Journal of Negro History, Volume 5, 1920|Various
The Chinese, then, were unable to stop the traffic and unwilling to legalize it.
A Vindication of England's Policy with Regard to the Opium Trade|Charles Reginald Haines
The Ashburton treaty was not the law of Canada, because the Government had neglected to legalize it by statute.
Ti-Ping Tien-Kwoh|Lin-Le
This conviction or this pretension tends to augment their force amazingly, and contributes no less to legalize their measures.
American Institutions and Their Influence|Alexis de Tocqueville et al.

British Dictionary definitions for legalize

legalize

legalise

/ (ˈliːɡəˌlaɪz) /

verb (tr)

to make lawful or legal

to confirm or validate (something previously unlawful)

Derived forms of legalize

legalization or legalisation, noun

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

legalize

verb (used with object), le·gal·ized, le·gal·iz·ing.

QUIZZES

Words related to legalize

Words nearby legalize

Origin of legalize

OTHER WORDS FROM legalize

Example sentences from the Web for legalize

British Dictionary definitions for legalize

legalise

verb (tr)

Derived forms of legalize