crim‧i‧nal‧ize (also criminalise British English) /ˈkrɪmənəl-aɪz, ˈkrɪmɪnəl-aɪz/ verb [transitive]
[Word Family: noun: crime, criminal, criminologist, criminology; verb: incriminate, criminalize ≠ decriminalize; adjective: criminal, incriminating; adverb: criminally]
to make something illegal, or to say that someone is a criminal because of something they have done Antonym : decriminalize:
The government has introduced new legislation to criminalize computer hacking.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲