legalize
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
-
to make lawful or legal
-
to confirm or validate (something previously unlawful)
Other Word Forms
- legalization noun
- unlegalized adjective
Etymology
Origin of legalize
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
That November, my home state became one of the first in the country to legalize same-sex marriage by popular vote.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026
Rimada photographs the felines for his social media followers and last year launched a petition to legalize bodega cats, which drew nearly 14,000 signatures.
From Barron's • Feb. 10, 2026
“Their philosophy was: If it’s unsafe for kids, then you shouldn’t legalize it. And of course, that’s a stupid standard,” Stroup said.
From Slate • Dec. 23, 2025
In late September, Culver City became the first municipality in California to legalize the construction of mid-rise apartment buildings with a single staircase.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 23, 2025
When word of Lincoln’s 1863 Emancipation Proclamation reached the Hermitage, all of the newly freed people were told they must legalize their marriages.
From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
