Simple English definitions for legal terms
Read a random definition: United States Magistrate Judge
Term: CRIMINALIZE
Definition: To criminalize means to make something illegal or outlawed.
For example, if the government decides to criminalize the use of a certain drug, it means that using that drug will become a crime and people who use it may be punished by law. Criminalizing something is a way for the government to control behavior and protect society from harmful actions or substances.
Definition: To make illegal; to outlaw.
Examples:
These examples illustrate how criminalizing something means making it illegal. In the first example, the possession of certain types of firearms would become illegal if the government goes ahead with its plan to criminalize them. In the second example, homosexuality is already illegal in some countries because it has been criminalized.