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 Its Supreme Court has rejected draft exemptions for ultra-Orthodox Jews and overturned a law legalizing settler homes built on private Palestinian land. — Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026 Congress legalized home brewing in 1978 Occasional efforts in recent years to change the law failed to gain traction. — Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2026 The money went to Hope Florida, a charity championed by the governor’s wife, and ended up in political committees that opposed the 2024 referendum that would have legalized adult use of marijuana in Florida. — Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 30 Aug. 2026 The $10 million was instead moved to political action committees that used the money to oppose a 2024 statewide ballot measure that would have legalized marijuana for adults in the state. — Jim Vertuno, Fortune, 28 Aug. 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
  • If physical gestures serve our relatives just fine, why did our own branch of the family tree gradually favor biological changes in our brains and anatomy that permitted our characteristic complexities in language and precision in speech?
    — Mike McRae September 02, New Atlas, 3 Sep. 2026
  • There is no official balloon season, since flights can operate throughout the year whenever conditions permit.
    — Scott Campbell, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of permit
Verb
  • The school day continued as normal and the students involved will be sanctioned according to Little Rock School District policies, Rike wrote.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 4 Sep. 2026
  • With time running out to get the deal done, both clubs agreed to sanction a joint medical and sent private jets to France, awaiting transport for the player to either London or the north east.
    — Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of sanction
Verb
  • This comprises five customizable ride modes for the 805 RX, plus reverse, allowing riders to adjust characteristics including power delivery, traction control and regenerative braking.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Memory may be the hardware component that AI chips need to thrive, but cybersecurity is what allows an organization to adopt and deploy this technology securely.
    — Zev Fima, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of allow
Verb
  • In his dissent on the ballroom construction, Roberts wrote that the project – which has not been approved by Congress – probably infringes on lawmakers’ ability to control federal spending and to regulate federal property.
    — Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Those changes were made when the Senate approved its version of the bill.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of approve
Verb
  • The approach appears to be adding a midfielder who can cover larger spaces in the middle of the pitch, enabling the team to be more proactive and aggressive in their press.
    — Jon Mackenzie, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The advanced safety detector, which screens incoming messages for policy violations, must be manually enabled by users.
    — Sarah Glodek, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of enable
Verb
  • The company licensed the intellectual property related to the approach from the National Eye Institute, which sits within the National Institutes of Health.
    — Emma Clapp, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Beyond the Midwest plant, Aqua Metals and WMC’s partner, Liminal, are reviewing options to license the electrochemical technology for planned processing sites in Canada and the Netherlands.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 2 Sep. 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 6 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
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
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All