Standard Lemma guide

decriminalize

verb · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /diːˈkɹɪmɪnəlaɪz/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: D IY0 K R IH2 M AH0 N AH0 L AY1 Z Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To change the laws so something is no longer a crime.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: British, English, Oxford, US, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: legalize

Antonyms: criminalize

2

verb

Meaning 2

make legal

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Marijuana should be legalized

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: legalize, legalise, decriminalise, legitimize, legitimise, legitimate, legitimatize, legitimatise

Antonyms: criminalize

Broader terms: permit, allow, let, countenance

Narrower terms: monetize, monetise

History

Etymology

Back-formation from decriminalization, equivalent to de- + criminalize.

Across languages

Translations

27 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: despenalitzar — to change the laws so something is no longer a crime
  • Danish: afkriminalisere — to change the laws so something is no longer a crime
  • Dutch: decriminaliseren — to change the laws so something is no longer a crime
  • Estonian: dekriminaliseerima — to change the laws so something is no longer a crime
  • Finnish: laillistaa — to change the laws so something is no longer a crime
  • Finnish: dekriminalisoida — to change the laws so something is no longer a crime
  • French: dépénaliser — to change the laws so something is no longer a crime
  • French: décriminaliser — to change the laws so something is no longer a crime
  • German: entkriminalisieren — to change the laws so something is no longer a crime
  • Greek: αποποινικοποιώ (apopoinikopoió) — to change the laws so something is no longer a crime
  • Hungarian: dekriminalizál — to change the laws so something is no longer a crime
  • Italian: depenalizzare — to change the laws so something is no longer a crime
  • Italian: decriminalizzare — to change the laws so something is no longer a crime
  • Japanese: 非犯罪化する (hihanzaika suru) — to change the laws so something is no longer a crime
  • Macedonian: декриминализира (dekriminalizira) — to change the laws so something is no longer a crime
  • Polish: dekryminalizować — to change the laws so something is no longer a crime
  • Polish: zdekryminalizować — to change the laws so something is no longer a crime
  • Polish: depenalizować — to change the laws so something is no longer a crime
  • Polish: zdepenalizować — to change the laws so something is no longer a crime
  • Portuguese: descriminar — to change the laws so something is no longer a crime
  • Portuguese: descriminalizar — to change the laws so something is no longer a crime
  • Russian: декриминализи́ровать (dekriminalizírovatʹ) — to change the laws so something is no longer a crime
  • Spanish: despenalizar — to change the laws so something is no longer a crime
  • Spanish: descriminalizar — to change the laws so something is no longer a crime
  • Swedish: avkriminalisera — to change the laws so something is no longer a crime
  • Ukrainian: декриміналізо́вувати (dekryminalizóvuvaty) — to change the laws so something is no longer a crime
  • Ukrainian: декриміналізува́ти (dekryminalizuváty) — to change the laws so something is no longer a crime