1. the act or process of making something illegal or treating it as a crime

Examples

• The criminalization of drug possession has led to mass incarceration.
• Advocates argue against the criminalization of homelessness.
• The criminalization of certain behaviors varies widely across different countries.
• Many activists support the decriminalization rather than the criminalization of sex work.
• The criminalization of minor offenses can have lasting effects on people's lives.
• Lawmakers debated the criminalization of new cybercrime activities.