LEGALIZATION Synonyms: 48 Similar and Opposite Words

legalization

noun

Definition of legalization

as in validation

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of legalization Lucas sponsored a legalization bill in the state Senate in 2021 and has supported other measures decriminalizing marijuana, according to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. — Jacob Rosen, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026 And a Federal Reserve Bank of New York study found that credit card delinquencies among sports bettors under 40 jumped 26% after legalization. — Shae Lake, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026 But important details of legalization will remain to be worked out, even if Democrats have full control. — Daniel J. Mallinson, The Conversation, 5 Oct. 2026 With the legalization of sports betting across multiple states over the past few years, daily fantasy hasn’t been at the forefront quite as much. — Outkick, FOXNews.com, 24 Sep. 2026 Founder Dave Hodges opened a medical-marijuana dispensary in California in 2009, before legalization. — Claire Hoffman, Rolling Stone, 21 Sep. 2026 Months before the Ceuta crisis, his government had carried out a migrant legalization push. — Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026 The letter asks for broader protections from the other 35 states and the District of Columbia, which do not have similar laws or protections in place since the Supreme Court paved the way for gambling legalization in 2018. — Charles Odum, Chicago Tribune, 15 Sep. 2026 The letter asks for broader protections from the other 35 states and District of Columbia, which do not have similar laws or protections in place since the Supreme Court paved the way for gambling legalization in 2018. — ABC News, 15 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for legalization

Noun

Future vehicles will also be able to check their electrical connections during assembly, potentially eliminating a final electrical validation step.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2026
Florida Insurance Commissioner Michael Yaworsky has called the consultant’s work an unfinished draft containing errors, inconsistencies, outdated information and data-validation problems.

— Matthew T. Christ, Sun Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of validation

Noun

Acknowledging that most civil law now permits legitimization after the fact, some jurisdictions still discriminate against a child born out of wedlock.

— Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 7 Mar. 2026
Live Aid was the final step in the legitimization of MTV.

— tom freston, Vulture, 28 Oct. 2025

Definition of legitimization

Noun

In this way, modern Druidry represents an example of how practitioners of new religious movements look to the distant past as a source for meaning, inspiration, and legitimation.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Aug. 2026
In August 2025, attorneys filed an emergency petition for legitimation and custody in DeKalb County Superior Court.

— Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 18 Dec. 2025

Definition of legitimation

Noun

In 2026, the Blake Burgess Blood Clot Prevention Act was passed in Oklahoma; Mississippi proposed similar legislation.

— Ali Ataya, The Conversation, 26 Oct. 2026
The president leads the armed forces and can veto legislation, signs international treaties and appoints ambassadors.

— ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of legislation

Noun

The book is set 15 years later, in 1920, just after the ratification of the 19th Amendment.

— Brittney Melton, NPR, 20 Oct. 2026
His civil rights advocacy was met with violent opposition, especially after the ratification of the 15th Amendment in February of 1870.

— Timothy Welbeck, The Conversation, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of ratification

Noun

Presented by Byredo It’s been twenty years since Byredo’s founding, and in those two decades, the once-niche Swedish fragrance brand has become a household name.

— Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2026
His mother had belonged to the Irgun, the Jewish underground that fought British rule before Israel’s founding, but his parents were, by all accounts, not ideological zealots.

— Eric Cortellessa, Time, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of founding

Noun

Making peace between the GOP’s pro-Israel establishment and its restive right wing will pose an early challenge for Vice President JD Vance, who’s positioning himself for a posible 2028 run.

— Shelby Talcott, semafor.com, 26 Oct. 2026
The fear increasingly voiced across Israel’s political and cultural establishment is that another Netanyahu victory could push those divisions toward a societal rupture.

— Eric Cortellessa, Time, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of establishment

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“Legalization.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/legalization. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of legalization

noun

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