illegalize
Make against law
To illegalize something is to make it illegal—to pass laws or regulations prohibiting what was previously permitted: Several states moved to illegalize the practice.
The word is less common than its opposite, legalize, and often appears in political debates about restricting activities: proposals to illegalize certain types of speech.
Criminalize is a near synonym.
Official restriction on something
- forbidDeclare not allowed
- outlawFugitive from justice
- proscribeOfficially forbid something
- prohibitFormally disallow
disallow · veto · embargo · interdict · restrict · suppress · censor · moratorium
Make punishable by law
- prosecuteBring criminal charges
- penalizeImpose a disadvantage for wrongdoing
- indictFormally charge with crime
- convictJailed offender after trial
sentence · arraign · felony · misdemeanor · infraction · incarcerate · delinquency · offense
Illicit trading network
- bootlegIllegally produced goods
- smuggleConvey illicitly across borders
- contrabandProhibited trade goods
- illicitProhibited by law
clandestine · underground · smuggler · trafficking · moonshine · speakeasy · rum-running · cartel
ban
Official restriction on something
prohibit · disallow · veto · embargo · interdict · restrict · suppress · censor · moratorium · injunction
criminalize
Make punishable by law
- prosecuteBring criminal charges
- penalizeImpose a disadvantage for wrongdoing
- indictFormally charge with crime
convict · sentence · arraign · felony · misdemeanor · infraction · incarcerate · delinquency · offense · violation
black-market
Illicit trading network
- bootlegIllegally produced goods
- smuggleConvey illicitly across borders
- contrabandProhibited trade goods
illicit · clandestine · underground · smuggler · trafficking · moonshine · speakeasy · rum-running · cartel · vice
illegalizelegalize
Make officially permitted
decriminalize · decriminalise · permit · allow · legitimize
illegality, illegalizing, illegalities, illegalized, illegalization