Meaning & use
criminalizes
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“criminalizes” is a form of “criminalize”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbtransitivelegal
Makes an action or behavior illegal by passing a law against it.
Grammar: Takes an object: the law criminalizes theft.
Patterns
- something criminalizes something
- a law criminalizes something
The new law criminalizes the sale of fake medicine.
This statute criminalizes harassment in the workplace.
The act criminalizes any attempt to bribe an official.
verbtransitivedisapproving
Treats a person or group as if they were criminals, even when they have done nothing seriously wrong.
Grammar: Takes a person or group as object: the policy criminalizes poor people.
Patterns
- something criminalizes someone
- criminalizes people for something
Critics say the policy criminalizes homeless people for sleeping outdoors.
The campaign criminalizes teenagers who simply gather in the park.
This rhetoric criminalizes an entire community.
Word forms
| base form | criminalize |
|---|---|
| past tense | criminalized |
| -ing form | criminalizing |
Common combinations
- law criminalizes
- The law criminalizes possession of stolen goods.
- criminalizes poverty
- The ordinance criminalizes poverty, according to activists.
- criminalizes dissent
- The regime criminalizes dissent of every kind.
- criminalizes behavior
- The code criminalizes behavior that most people consider harmless.
Synonyms and how they differ
- outlaws
- Outlaws sounds more absolute and is common in everyday speech, while criminalizes stresses making something a crime.
- bans
- Bans is wider and need not involve criminal punishment, as a school can ban phones without making it a crime.
- prohibits
- Prohibits is more formal and general; it need not mean breaking the law is a crime.
Opposites
Word family
- criminalization noun
- the act of making something a crime
- criminal adjective
- relating to crime
- decriminalize verb
- to make something no longer a crime
- criminalize verb
- base form
Commonly confused: criminalizes or decriminalizes?
criminalizes vs decriminalizes
Decriminalizes is the opposite: it removes the criminal penalty. Do not confuse the two.
Practice
The new legislation ____ the sale of counterfeit medicine, so sellers can now be prosecuted.
Choose one answer.
Criminalizes means makes illegal, which is why sellers can be prosecuted. Decriminalizes and legalizes have the opposite effect.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “criminalizes”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.