legalized 1 of 2

adjective

as in legal

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

legalized

2 of 2

verb

past tense of legalize
as in sanctioned
to make (something) legal They wanted to legalize gambling in their city.

Related Words

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 legalized
Verb
The new legal framework, published in the Official Gazette, is the deepest overhaul of the island’s private sector since small and medium enterprises were legalized in 2021. — Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 2 Sep. 2026 Medical cannabis was legalized in Thailand in 2022 and dispensaries have become common in Thai cities. — ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026 Recently, Capifali helped guide the Johnson administration through a tiff with aldermen who legalized video gambling terminals over the mayor’s objections. — Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026 Currently, 39 states along with the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico offer legalized sports betting but with various restrictions and licensing procedures that traditional sportsbooks run by the likes of DraftKings and FanDuel must follow. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 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 Photo courtesy of Butts County Sheriff's Office Long used the seizure to urge Georgia lawmakers to carefully consider the experiences of states that have legalized marijuana. — CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for legalized
  1. legal
  2. sanctioned
  3. legitimate
  4. permitted
  5. lawful
  6. licensed
  7. allowed
  8. approved
Adjective
  • Multiple sources told OutKick that school administrators, along with Governor Jeff Landry and President Wade Rousse were discussing the situation with LSU legal counsel throughout Thursday evening and all of Friday.
    — Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Jordan Lyle out The Hurricanes on Thursday officially ruled out Jordan Lyle for Friday’s game against Stanford as the junior running back continues to await legal clarity following his August arrest.
    — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of legal
Verb
  • Fiscus declined to answer if the team sanctioned the workout.
    — Katie Strang, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • On Monday, the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned more than 60 new entities, individuals and vessels accused of helping Iran procure nuclear and missile technology, conduct cyber operations and generate oil revenue.
    — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of sanctioned
Adjective
  • The investigation found Love posted photographs and videos of himself wearing 49ers gear and portrayed himself as a legitimate player.
    — Joshua Hong, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Many claims are thought to be legitimate and no plaintiffs in the settlement have been charged with wrongdoing.
    — Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of legitimate
Verb
  • Arnold is not permitted to practice or play while on the exempt list.
    — Andrew Destin, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • In Saxony-Anhalt, AfD wants to allow home schooling, which so far isn't permitted in Germany.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of permitted
Adjective
  • Anthropic wanted assurance that its technology would not be used for fully autonomous weapons or domestic mass surveillance, and the DOD wanted Anthropic to grant the agency unfettered access to Claude across all lawful purposes.
    — Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Anthropic sought to prevent Claude from being used for mass surveillance or fully autonomous weapons, but the military argued it should be allowed to use the model for all lawful purposes.
    — Joe Walsh, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of lawful
Verb
  • Although he is licensed to practice in Florida, Tennessee and the District of Columbia, Crump often partners with local attorneys to help elevate cases across the nation.
    — Ryan Young, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The rails underneath Solowin's Bahrain subsidiary was licensed by that country's central bank in June to issue stablecoins, the first granted under that framework.
    — Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of licensed
Verb
  • Both were placed on IR-return, which allowed 23-year-old Jacob Bayer to sneak onto the roster after a fantastic camp.
    — Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • In the Steelers’ first game of the 2025 season, Jones allowed three sacks on quarterback Aaron Rodgers while lined up at left tackle.
    — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of allowed
Verb
  • The National Capital Planning Commission approved preliminary site and building plans for the arch on July 9.
    — Bart Jansen, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2026
  • If approved and financed, the first ReFirm project is expected to put Sweden on a path toward its first new nuclear generation in decades, with the first BWRX-300 unit targeted for operation in the mid-2030s.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of approved

Browse Nearby Words

legalize
legalized
legalizes
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Legalized.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/legalized. 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