il·le·gal·ize
(ˌ)i(l)-ˈlē-gə-ˌlīz 
illegalized; illegalizing; illegalizes
: to make or declare illegal
il·legalization
variants
also British illegalisation
(¦)i(l),
ə+
: the action of illegalizing
illegalization of gambling, drinking, and prostitution did not destroy the demand—
H. D. Lasswell
H. D. LasswellExamples of illegalize in a Sentence
Verb
a bill that would illegalize the private use of fireworks
Recent Examples on the Web
sandiegouniontribune.com, 28 Feb. 2018
Rather than negotiating a political agreement, Madrid decided to illegalize Basque political parties allegedly linked with terrorism and to prosecute their leaders.
—Sergi Pardos-Prado, Washington Post, 28 Oct. 2017
The Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act, a bill focused on illegalizing any conversion therapy that charges money, was filed in the U.S. Senate in April.
—Joseph Frankel, The Atlantic, 10 July 2017
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Verb
Basis for the suit to illegalize the union, lawyers explained, is the difference in race between the participants.
—sandiegouniontribune.com, 28 Feb. 2018
Rather than negotiating a political agreement, Madrid decided to illegalize Basque political parties allegedly linked with terrorism and to prosecute their leaders.
—Sergi Pardos-Prado, Washington Post, 28 Oct. 2017
The Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act, a bill focused on illegalizing any conversion therapy that charges money, was filed in the U.S. Senate in April.
—Joseph Frankel, The Atlantic, 10 July 2017
Cite this Entry
“Illegalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/illegalize. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
illegalize
transitive verb
il·le·ga·lize
il-ˈlē-gə-ˌlīz
: to make or declare illegal compare criminalize
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