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What is "criminalize"

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
criminalize
verb
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
▪ In 1937, the U.S. government criminalized the use of marijuana.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪ By criminalizing physician-assisted suicide, the Supreme Court has driven a criminal wedge between the dying and their doctors.
▪ Campaign finance reform, then, should not simply criminalize a few activities at the edges.
▪ Government itself was rarely the active initiator in the move to criminalize immorality.
▪ However, opponents charge that the new Internet regulations amount to unconstitutional censorship that would criminalize expression protected by the First Amendment.
▪ It's the only way they can go around harassing and criminalizing black kids and think they're doing a good job.
The Collaborative International Dictionary
criminalize

criminalize \criminalize\ v. t. to declare (an act) to be illegal.

Syn: outlaw, illegalize, ban.

Wiktionary
criminalize

vb. (context transitive English) To make (something) a crime; to make illegal under criminal law; to ban.

WordNet
criminalize

  1. v. treat as a criminal

  2. declare illegal; outlaw; "Marijuana is criminalized in the U.S." [syn: outlaw, criminalise, illegalize, illegalise] [ant: legalize, legalize, legalize]

Usage examples of "criminalize".

By supporting the Brownback bill, which would not only ban therapeutic cloning but criminalize it, many disease advocates, myself included, felt that Senator Frist was making the wrong decision both as a doctor and as a senator.

On the other front, we pass anticamping legislation that criminalizes those who won’t stay in the shelters.

Congress has not yet criminalized all sharp conduct, manipulative acts, or unethical transactions.

The act, which criminalized "teaching and advocating the violent overthrow of the government," was written by a Democratic House and a Democratic Senate.

While it's hard to argue with that premise, one thing governments are really good at is criminalizing stuff.

That doesn't mean we should randomly criminalize things to create jobs for prosecutors and prison guards, but the horrifying consequence of providing people with good jobs at good wages is not a strong argument for repealing drug laws.