Criminalize
verb
verb ·4 syllables ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
Verb
- 1 To make (something) a crime; to make illegal under criminal law; to ban. transitive
""Ag-gag laws criminalize undercover investigations by prohibiting one or more of three types of behavior: trespass, recording of videos, and failure to submit a video to law enforcement.""
- 2 declare illegal; outlaw wordnet
- 3 To treat as a criminal. transitive
- 4 treat as a criminal wordnet
Example
More examples"Some lobbies are trying to criminalize the BDS movement."
Etymology
From criminal + -ize.