# criminalization

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˌkɹɪmɪnəlaɪzˈeɪʃən/ · frequency rank #51,042

## Definitions
1. The act of making a previously legal activity illegal, the act of making something a criminal offence.
2. The act of turning someone into a criminal by making their activities illegal.

## Etymology
From criminal + -ization or criminalize + -ation.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/criminalization