legalize

/ˈliːɡəlaɪz/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈliːɡəlaɪz/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈlē-gə-ˌlīz/ (ame, mw)

legalize — verb

  • legalizepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • legalizeshe / she / it
  • legalizedpast simple
  • legalizing-ing form

1. to change the rules of a country so that an activity, substance, or behaviour th

1.動詞及物C1
釋義

to change the rules of a country so that an activity, substance, or behaviour that was previously forbidden becomes officially permitted — for example, ending a ban on a drug, on same-sex marriage, or on a kind of business.

例句

Uruguay was the first country in South America to legalize recreational cannabis.

legalize + concrete activity noun

Voters in Camila's home state finally agreed to legalize same-sex marriage last spring.

legalize + social-rights noun phrase

同義詞
  • decriminalize

    remove criminal penalties for an act, often without making it fully legal or regulated

  • permit

    broader and weaker — can mean simply allow in a single case, not a change in law

  • authorize

    give official permission by a specific authority, often for one act rather than a general rule

反義詞
  • ban

    actively forbid by law

  • criminalize

    make an act a punishable crime

  • outlaw

    declare illegal, often with strong public condemnation

文法句型

legalize + noun

legalize + gerund

用法筆記

Object is almost always something that was previously banned or restricted — typically a substance, an activity (often a gerund), a market, or a social practice. Frequently passive when the focus is on the activity rather than the law-maker.

常見錯誤

❌The police legalized the protest.
✅The city council legalized the protest.
💡only law-making bodies (parliaments, voters, governments) can legalize something; police only enforce existing law.
❌I want to legalize my new car at the city office.
✅I want to register my new car at the city office.
💡'legalize' changes the law itself; for paperwork on something already legal, use 'register' or 'license'.