Meanings
alternative decriminalisation
- uncountableThe 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
1 more example
Some opponents also said federal decriminalization would contribute to more death and injury from impaired drivers using marijuana.
2020 April 12, Deirdre Walsh, “House Approves Decriminalizing Marijuana; Bill To Stall In Senate”, in NPR - uncountableThe 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).
Most sex work feminists support either the legalization or the decriminalization of sex workers.
2012, Sverre Molland, The Perfect Business? Anti-Trafficking and the Sex Trade along the Mekong, University of Hawaii Press, →ISBN, page 38
Synonyms & antonyms
nounlegislation that makes something legal that was formerly illegal
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Translations
Catalan descriminalització
- descriminalitzaciómaking something no longer illegal
Chinese Mandarin 除罪化, 去刑事化
- 除罪化making something no longer illegal
- 去刑事化making something no longer illegal
- 非犯罪化making something no longer illegal
- 非犯罪化處理 /非犯罪化处理turning a criminal into a non-criminal
- 去刑事化turning a criminal into a non-criminal
- 非刑事化turning a criminal into a non-criminal
Czech dekriminalizace
- dekriminalizacemaking something no longer illegal
Dutch decriminalisering, decriminalisering
- decriminaliseringmaking something no longer illegal
- decriminaliseringturning a criminal into a non-criminal
Finnish laillistaminen, dekriminalisointi
- laillistaminenmaking something no longer illegal
- dekriminalisointimaking something no longer illegal
- dekriminalisointiturning a criminal into a non-criminal
French décriminalisation, dépénalisation
- décriminalisationmaking something no longer illegal
- dépénalisationmaking something no longer illegal
German Entkriminalisierung
- Entkriminalisierungmaking something no longer illegal
Greek αποποινικοποίηση
- αποποινικοποίηση (apopoinikopoíisi)making something no longer illegal
Hungarian dekriminalizáció, dekriminalizálás
- dekriminalizációmaking something no longer illegal
- dekriminalizálásmaking something no longer illegal
Italian decriminalizzazione
- decriminalizzazionemaking something no longer illegal
Japanese 免罪
- 免罪 (menzai)making something no longer illegal
Korean 비범죄화
- 비범죄화 (bibeomjoehwa)making something no longer illegal
Polish dekryminalizacja
- dekryminalizacjamaking something no longer illegal
Portuguese descriminalização, legalização
- descriminalizaçãomaking something no longer illegal
- legalizaçãomaking something no longer illegal
Russian декриминализа́ция
- декриминализа́ция (dekriminalizácija)making something no longer illegal
Spanish descriminalización
- descriminalizaciónmaking something no longer illegal
Swedish avkriminalisering
- avkriminaliseringmaking something no longer illegal
Ukrainian декриміналіза́ція
- декриміналіза́ція (dekryminalizácija)making something no longer illegal
Vietnamese phi hình sự hóa, phi hình sự hóa
- phi hình sự hóamaking something no longer illegal
- phi hình sự hóaturning a criminal into a non-criminal
Cite this entry
decriminalization. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/decriminalization
“decriminalization.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/decriminalization. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “decriminalization,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/decriminalization.
Source: decriminalization on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.