decriminalize

Name: decriminalize, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/diːˈkɹɪmɪnəlaɪz/

//diːˈkɹɪmɪnəlaɪz// verb

By PlainSpell · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“decriminalize” is uncommon English (frequency #66,602 among 26,416 “D” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#66,602
frequency rank, English: 26,416
“D” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To change the laws so something is no longer a crime.

Key facts for decriminalize
Property	Value
Headword	decriminalize
Language	English
Part of speech	Verb
IPA	/diːˈkɹɪmɪnəlaɪz/
Letters	13
Frequency rank	#66,602
Misspellings tracked	0
Confusable pairs	0
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “decriminalize” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). decriminalize lands here:

#66,602

#1#100#1K#10K#100K

← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

decriminalize is uncommon English at frequency #66,602 among 26,416 “D” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /diːˈkɹɪmɪnəlaɪz/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "To change the laws so something is no longer a crime.".

No generated misspelling entries exist for decriminalize in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: Back-formation from decriminalization, equivalent to de- + criminalize. The correct English form is decriminalize, spelled D-E-C-R-I-M-I-N-A-L-I-Z-E.

Definition

1
To change the laws so something is no longer a crime.

Etymology

Back-formation from decriminalization, equivalent to de- + criminalize.

This word in other languages

despenalizar(Español)dépénaliser(Français)entkriminalisieren(Deutsch)descriminar(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "decriminalize"?

"decriminalize" is spelled D-E-C-R-I-M-I-N-A-L-I-Z-E. The IPA pronunciation is /diːˈkɹɪmɪnəlaɪz/.

What does "decriminalize" mean?

As a verb, "decriminalize" means: To change the laws so something is no longer a crime.

How do you pronounce "decriminalize"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "decriminalize" is /diːˈkɹɪmɪnəlaɪz/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.

What is the origin of the word "decriminalize"?

Back-formation from decriminalization, equivalent to de- + criminalize. See the full etymology section above for more details.

Is PlainSpell free to use?

Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “decriminalize”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

The one correct English spelling is D-E-C-R-I-M-I-N-A-L-I-Z-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /diːˈkɹɪmɪnəlaɪz/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.