decriminalise
"decriminalise" is a 13-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“decriminalise” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 13
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Non-Oxford British English standard spelling of decriminalize.
Corpus desk
Index EN-decriminalise · decriminalise · English
decriminalise · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-MEGA 13 letters
- VOW-6 6 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "D" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern
Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | decriminalise |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| Letters | 13 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “decriminalise” in English
Rare enough to double-check
decriminalise is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as averb. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Non-Oxford British English standard spelling of decriminalize.".
We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for decriminalise, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.
Etymologically, the entry records: From de- + criminalise. The correct English form is decriminalise, spelled D-E-C-R-I-M-I-N-A-L-I-S-E.
Definition
- 1Non-Oxford British English standard spelling of decriminalize.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how decriminalise appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
Nauru has reformed its criminal code, decriminalising homosexuality and suicide.
Vladimir Putin has signed into law a controversial amendment that decriminalises some forms of domestic violence.
Etymology
From de- + criminalise.
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.