Illegalizing

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. The act of making something that was previously allowed no longer permissible as well as the resulting consequences of such a change in law or policy
2. The process of establishing laws that prohibit certain behaviors or actions, thereby criminalizing them and altering their status in society
3. The procedure through which previously accepted activities or items become forbidden by legislation or regulation, leading to penalties for violations

Etymology: "Illegalizing" is built from "illegal" plus the verb-forming suffix "-ize" plus the present participle ending "-ing," so it is a plain, transparent formation rather than a word with a dramatic backstory. "Illegal" entered English in the early 1600s, borrowed from medieval Latin "illegalis," itself from Latin "in-" (not) and "legalis" (lawful, from "lex," law). The suffix "-ize" comes through Latin "-izare" from Greek "-izein," and was attached to English words freely from the 1600s onward, becoming especially productive in the 19th and 20th centuries. The verb "illegalize" is attested in English from the 19th century, and it is most commonly used in the sense given: a government or regulator takes an activity that was once permitted and makes it a punishable offence. Its formation mirrors many pairs such as "legalize" and "criminalize," which express the same change in opposite or closely related directions.

Synonyms: criminalizing, prohibiting, banning, outlawing

Antonyms: legalizing, allowing, permitting, sanctioning