legalize

[ lee-guh-lahyz ]

/ ˈli gəˌlaɪz /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR legalize ON THESAURUS.COM

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

to make legal; authorize.

Nearby words

legalese, legalise, legalism, legalistic, legality, legalize, legally, leganés, legaspi, legaspi, miguel lópez de, legate

Also especially British, le·gal·ise.

Origin of legalize

First recorded in 1710–20; legal + -ize

Related forms

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples 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

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.

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Origin of legalize

Related forms

Examples from the Web for legalize

British Dictionary definitions for legalize

legalize

legalise

verb (tr)

Derived Forms