verb (used with object), de·crim·i·nal·ized, de·crim·i·nal·iz·ing.
- to eliminate criminal penalties for or remove legal restrictions against: to decriminalize marijuana.
verb
- (tr) to remove (an action) from the legal category of criminal offenceto decriminalize the possession of marijuana
1945, from de- + criminal + -ization. Especially in reference to narcotics since c.1968.
1963, “to reform a criminal,” back-formation from decriminalization. Meaning “to make legal something that formerly had been illegal” was in use by 1970 (there are isolated instances back to 1867). Related: Decriminalized; decriminalizing.