legalize

verb

Definition of legalizenext
as in to permit
to make (something) legal They wanted to legalize gambling in their city.

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

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 legalize Polls show public opposition to legalized sports betting is mounting amid match-fixing scandals, social media harassment and aggressive marketing. — Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 30 June 2026 In the 2005 measure, the previous largest such instance, 576,500 immigrants had their status legalized. — Suman Naishadham, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026 In the 2005 measure, the previous largest such instance, 576,500 immigrants had their status legalized. — ABC News, 30 June 2026 German courts are clarifying a gray area left by the cannabis reform that entered into effect in 2024, which legalized personal use, cultivation, and associations, but left questions over the legal status of cannabis cuttings. — Dario Sabaghi, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for legalize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for legalize
  1. permit
  2. sanction
  3. allow
  4. approve
  5. enable
  6. license
Verb
  • Gary Chan, who obtained a federal explosives permit for the company, has been charged with seven counts of murder and six charges related to the possession and transportation of explosives.
    — Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 2 July 2026
  • The Heat began Tuesday by retaining three-point shooting forward Simone Fontecchio in free agency, and then continued to address its need for outside shooting when league-wide free agent negotiations were permitted to begin Tuesday night.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 1 July 2026
Definition of permit
Verb
  • In 2023, the Ukrainian government sanctioned him for allegedly continuing to engage with Russia, paying taxes to Moscow and facilitating business transactions through his liquor business in Crimea, a Ukrainian peninsula which Russia annexed in 2014.
    — Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
  • Judge John Weeks denied May’s request to sanction Daniel and to hold King’s bond insufficient for violating a condition that directs him not to contact witnesses.
    — Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 July 2026
Definition of sanction
Verb
  • In July of that year, Trinidad's Court of Appeals allowed Jones to seek a ruling from the final court of appeals in England.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 July 2026
  • This white maxi from Le Bop, Shopbop’s in-house label, features eyelet detailing that allows your swimsuit to subtly peek through.
    — Kelsey Stewart, Travel + Leisure, 8 July 2026
Definition of allow
Verb
  • The board unanimously approved a motion by Supervisor Hilda Solis, directing county attorneys to send a letter to Lineage Logistics outlining a list of demands and requirements, and asking that the company respond within 48 hours.
    — City News Service, Daily News, 8 July 2026
  • For reasons that remain unclear, he was subsequently approved to be moved in with other detainees.
    — Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 July 2026
Definition of approve
Verb
  • Balogun, who saw his red-card suspension set aside enabling him to play in Monday night’s win-or-done match.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 7 July 2026
  • The Federal Trade Commission and seven states sued Live Nation and Ticketmaster in September 2025, accusing the companies of enabling scalpers in the resale market.
    — Lauren Schuster, Charlotte Observer, 6 July 2026
Definition of enable
Verb
  • The company offered a line of NFL licensed collectible products.
    — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 3 July 2026
  • Goodfellas retains streaming rights for the territory, where it has been licensed to Netflix.
    — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 2 July 2026
Definition of license

Browse Nearby Words

legalizations
legalize
legalized
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Legalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/legalize. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on legalize

Nglish: Translation of legalize for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of tacit

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All