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Legalise: meaning, definitions and examples

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legalise

 

[ ˈliːɡəlaɪz ]

Verb
Context #1 | Verb

law context

To legalise something means to make it lawful or permissible by law. This can involve modifying existing laws or enacting new regulations to allow certain activities that were previously prohibited. The process of legalisation can apply to various issues such as drug use, same-sex marriage, or gambling. It often involves public debate, legislative action, and sometimes referendums to gauge public opinion.

Synonyms

allow, authorize, permit

Examples of usage

  • The government plans to legalise recreational marijuana.
  • Several states have moved to legalise same-sex marriage.
  • Activists are campaigning to legalise euthanasia for terminally ill patients.

Translations

Translations of the word "legalise" in other languages:

🇵🇹 legalizar

🇮🇳 कानूनी बनाना

🇩🇪 legalisieren

🇮🇩 melegalkan

🇺🇦 легалізувати

🇵🇱 legalizować

🇯🇵 合法化する

🇫🇷 légaliser

🇪🇸 legalizar

🇹🇷 yasal hale getirmek

🇰🇷 합법화하다

🇸🇦 تشرع

🇨🇿 legalizovat

🇸🇰 legalizovať

🇨🇳 合法化

🇸🇮 legalizirati

🇮🇸 lögfesta

🇰🇿 заңдастыру

🇬🇪 ლეგალიზება

🇦🇿 qanuniləşdirmək

🇲🇽 legalizar

Word origin

The word 'legalise' originates from the late 19th century and is derived from the word 'legal', which itself comes from the Latin 'legalis', meaning 'pertaining to the law'. The Latin root is from 'lex', meaning 'law'. The suffix '-ise' is a common verb-forming ending in English, indicating the action of making something into a particular state or condition. The term has been used in legal, political, and social contexts, often relating to the debates surrounding the acceptability of various practices within a society. Over time, as societal norms have evolved, the usage of 'legalise' has expanded to include a wide range of activities and issues, reflecting changing attitudes towards regulation and personal freedom.

Word Frequency Rank

Ranking #35,780, this word is encountered relatively rarely in everyday English. It might appear in literary works or specialized texts but isn't essential for general communication.