decriminalization
/diːˌkɹɪmɪnəlaɪzˈeɪʃən/noun
decriminalization is spelled D-E-C-R-I-M-I-N-A-L-I-Z-A-T-I-O-N: 17 letters and 7 syllables. It appears about once in every 3 million words in written English, the 47,633rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, decriminalization means “The act of making an activity or substance no longer criminalized (no longer a crime, subject to criminal penalties, to perform or possess). (Compare…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in decriminalization?
| Letters | 17: D-E-C-R-I-M-I-N-A-L-I-Z-A-T-I-O-N |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 7 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 3 million words; the 47,633rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is decriminalization?
Decriminalization appears about once in every 3 million words in written English, the 47,633rd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce decriminalization?
- /diːˌkɹɪmɪnəlaɪzˈeɪʃən/
Decriminalization has 7 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-decriminalization.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of decriminalization
- decriminalisation
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does decriminalization mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
The act of making an activity or substance no longer criminalized (no longer a crime, subject to criminal penalties, to perform or possess). (Compare legalization, which often implies regulation.)
the decriminalization of all plant-based psychedelics
- 2
The act of ceasing to treat a person as a criminal, by making their activities legal or no longer subjecting them to the criminal justice system (but instead possibly the mental healthcare system, etc).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Decriminalization in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense making something no longer illegal:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | décriminalisation, dépénalisation |
| German | Entkriminalisierung |
| Portuguese | descriminalização, legalização |
| Spanish | descriminalización |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does decriminalization come from?
From de- + criminalization or decriminalize + -ation.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).