legalise
legalise — verb
1. to change the law so that an activity is no longer a crime and people can do it
to change the law so that an activity is no longer a crime and people can do it without being punished
The government finally decided to legalise same-sex marriage after years of debate.
passive form: was legalised is common in news reports
Many countries have chosen to legalise cannabis for medical use only.
collocation: legalise for [purpose/use]
Chitra is collecting signatures for a petition to legalise the sale of traditional herbal medicines.
The debate over whether to legalise euthanasia continues in the national legislature.
After a public vote, the state became the first in the country to legalise assisted dying.
- decriminalise
less weighty — removes criminal penalties but may still impose fines or regulations; 'legalise' makes it fully lawful
- legitimise
broader — can mean making something socially accepted or officially recognised, not necessarily changing criminal law
- permit
more general — simply means to allow, often through a licence or permission rather than a change in the law
- criminalise
direct opposite — to make an activity a criminal offence by law
- outlaw
stronger — to ban something completely and declare it illegal
- prohibit
formal — to forbid something by law or official rule
文法句型
legalise + noun phrase
用法筆記
Frequently used in passive constructions (e.g., 'was legalised in 2018') and in political debates about activities that were previously criminal offences, such as drug use, euthanasia, or same-sex marriage.