illegalize
LowFormal, Legal, Academic
Definition
Meaning
To make something illegal; to declare or render unlawful by law.
The formal act of prohibiting something through legislation or official decree.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
In most contexts, 'criminalize' or 'prohibit' are more commonly used verbs. 'Illegalize' is sometimes considered an unnecessary formation, as 'to make illegal' is typically preferred.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is extremely rare in both varieties, slightly more attested in formal American legal/academic writing than in British English.
Connotations
May sound slightly clumsy or jargony to native speakers in both varieties.
Frequency
Very low frequency, though occasionally found in political science or legal discourse.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[GOVERNMENT/LEGISLATURE] + illegalize + [ACTIVITY/SUBSTANCE]to illegalize + [GERUND/NOUN PHRASE]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[None directly associated with the verb 'illegalize']”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Extremely rare. Might appear in formal policy documents regarding prohibited practices.
Academic
Occasionally used in political science, sociology, or legal papers discussing the process of making acts unlawful.
Everyday
Virtually never used in casual conversation. 'Make illegal' or 'ban' are standard.
Technical
Used in legal drafting and political discourse, though 'criminalize' or 'prohibit' are more precise technical terms.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The new bill would illegalise the sale of single-use plastics.
- Campaigners are urging Parliament to illegalise these discriminatory practices.
American English
- The state moved to illegalize the conversion therapy practice.
- Several attempts have been made to illegalize certain types of semi-automatic weapons.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The government wants to illegalize smoking in parks.
- They tried to illegalize the drug.
- Many countries have moved to illegalize the trade in elephant ivory.
- The proposed law would illegalize dumping waste in the river.
- Human rights groups argue that the regime's new law effectively illegalizes peaceful protest.
- The senator's amendment seeks to illegalize the use of these invasive data-gathering techniques.
- Scholars debate whether the state should illegalize forms of speech that constitute hate speech.
- The international treaty aims to illegalize the development and production of biological weapons.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'I-LEGAL-IZE' → to put into the state of being NOT legal (illegal).
Conceptual Metaphor
LAW IS A TOOL (to shape society): 'The government used the law to illegalize the substance.'
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct calque from constructions with 'нелегальный'. English prefers verb phrases like 'make illegal' or specific verbs like 'ban'.
- Do not confuse with 'legalize' (разрешить, легализовать) which is the direct opposite.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'illegalize' in casual speech instead of more common phrases.
- Incorrectly forming the past tense as 'illegalized' (correct, but rare) instead of using 'made illegal' or 'banned'.
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is the MOST common and natural-sounding alternative to 'illegalize' in everyday English?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, it is a valid verb listed in major dictionaries, but it is used very infrequently compared to synonyms like 'ban' or 'prohibit'.
'Illegalize' broadly means to make something illegal (against the law). 'Criminalize' more specifically means to make an act a crime, often implying criminal penalties. The terms can overlap, but 'criminalize' is more common in legal contexts.
Yes, 'illegalise' is the standard British English spelling, following the '-ise' suffix pattern. 'Illegalize' is the standard American English spelling with '-ize'.
In most cases, it is better to use more common and natural alternatives like 'ban', 'prohibit', 'make illegal', or 'outlaw'. Use 'illegalize' only in very formal or academic contexts where its specific morphological form is being discussed or emphasized.