verb
- to make something illegal or to treat someone as a criminal
Usage: British English spelling (American English: criminalizes); third person singular present tense
Examples
- The new law criminalises the possession of certain weapons.
- Many countries criminalise drug trafficking with severe penalties.
- The government criminalises behaviour that endangers public safety.
- This policy criminalises homelessness rather than addressing its root causes.
- The legislation criminalises hate speech in all its forms.
- Some argue that the regulation unfairly criminalises ordinary citizens.