noun · 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
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rhymes with -eɪʃən
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:L IY2 G AH0 L AH0 Z EY1 SH AH0 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The process of making something legal, the process to legalize, decriminalization.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
The hippies marched for the legalization of marijuana.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
the act of making lawful
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: legalisation, legitimation
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: group action
History
Etymology
From legalize + -ation. Piecewise doublet of loyalization.
Across languages
Translations
29 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Asturian:
llegalización
— process of making something legal
Catalan:
legalització
— process of making something legal
Chinese Mandarin:
合法化
(héfǎhuà)
— process of making something legal
Crimean Tatar:
qanunlaştıruv
— process of making something legal
Crimean Tatar:
qanunlaştırma
— process of making something legal
Finnish:
laillistaminen
— process of making something legal
French:
légalisation
— process of making something legal
Galician:
legalización
— process of making something legal
German:
Legalisierung
— process of making something legal
Greek:
νομιμοποίηση
(nomimopoíisi)
— process of making something legal
Hebrew:
לגליזציה
(legalizátsya)
— process of making something legal
Indonesian:
pengesahan
— process of making something legal
Indonesian:
legalisasi
— process of making something legal
Italian:
legalizzazione
— process of making something legal
Japanese:
合法化
(gōhōka)
— process of making something legal
Kazakh:
заңдастыру
(zañdastyru)
— process of making something legal
Korean:
합법화
(hapbeophwa)
— process of making something legal
Māori:
whakamanatanga
— process of making something legal
Polish:
legalizacja
— process of making something legal
Portuguese:
legalização
— process of making something legal
Russian:
легализа́ция
(legalizácija)
— process of making something legal
Russian:
узаконе́ние
(uzakonénije)
— process of making something legal
Russian:
узако́нивание
(uzakónivanije)
— process of making something legal
Scottish Gaelic:
laghachd
— process of making something legal
Spanish:
legalización
— process of making something legal
Swahili:
uhalalishaji
— process of making something legal
Swedish:
legalisering
— process of making something legal
Ukrainian:
легаліза́ція
(lehalizácija)
— process of making something legal
Ukrainian:
узако́нення
(uzakónennja)
— process of making something legal
