decriminalize
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Alternative forms
Etymology
Back-formation from decriminalization, equivalent to de- + criminalize.
Pronunciation
Verb
decriminalize (third-person singular simple present decriminalizes, present participle decriminalizing, simple past and past participle decriminalized) (American spelling, Oxford British English)
- (transitive) To change the laws so something is no longer a crime.
- Synonym: legalize
- Antonym: criminalize
- 2020 November 4, Thomas Fuller, “Oregon Decriminalizes Small Amounts of Heroin and Cocaine; Four States Legalize Marijuana”, in The New York Times:
- The march to decriminalize drugs moved further across the nation on Tuesday despite continued federal prohibition.
- 2020 December 4, Deirdre Walsh, “House Approves Decriminalizing Marijuana; Bill To Stall In Senate”, in NPR:
- The House of Representatives approved decriminalizing marijuana at the federal level on Friday in the first time Congress has acted on the issue.
- 2021 June 18, Eric Westervelt, “Oregon's Pioneering Drug Decriminalization Experiment Is Now Facing The Hard Test”, in NPR:
- Last fall Oregon voters decriminalized possession of small amounts of almost all hard drugs, taking a groundbreaking step away from the arrest, charge and jail model for possession that's been a centerpiece of American drug policy since President Richard Nixon declared his War on Drugs 50 years ago this week.
- 2022 February 22, Julie Turkewitz, “Colombia Decriminalizes Abortion, Bolstering Trend Across Region”, in The New York Times:
- The court’s decision decriminalizes abortions in the first 24 weeks of pregnancy, and means that any woman should be able to seek the procedure from a health professional without fear of criminal prosecution.
Derived terms
Translations
to change the laws so something is no longer a crime
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