What does legalise mean?
Legalise means to make something legal or to permit it under the law. It is often used when discussing practices previously prohibited or regulated, such as cannabis, abortion, gambling, or the use of particular technologies. The verb can also have a broader figurative sense: to regard something as legitimate, proper, or officially acceptable. In that use, legalise may imply that a questionable situation is being brought within accepted norms rather than merely being allowed by a specific law. The word is common in news reporting, political debate, and legal commentary, especially in British English, although the alternative spelling legalize is also standard. Legalisation normally means the act or process of making something legal, while a legaliser is a person or body that authorises something. The word is useful for describing both formal changes in law and the social recognition of previously restricted practices.
verbTo make something legal, or to permit it by law. It can also mean to regard something as legitimate or officially accepted.
- To make an activity, practice, or status legal by law.
- To treat something as legitimate, proper, or officially accepted.
"The new law was intended to legalise the use of certain controlled substances for medical research."
"Parliament voted to legalise the production and sale of cannabis."
"The agreement helped legalise the company's position within the industry."
To legalise something is not merely to permit it, but to give it a recognised place within the law.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of legalise
Legalise is formed from the adjective legal, which comes from Latin legalis, meaning “pertaining to law.” The verb was developed in the early 19th century as a British English formation, with the alternative legalise developing alongside it. The same Latin root also produced legal, legality, legitimate, and illegal, although the latter was formed with the Latin negative prefix in-.
Related word forms
How legalise is actually used
The spelling with -ise is standard in British English, although the -ize spelling is also widely used, including in the United States. The verb is especially common in legal, political, and social-policy contexts.