Approve and Criminalize

Opposite meaning words

Approve verb - To give official acceptance of as satisfactory.

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Criminalize is an antonym for approve.

Nearby Words: approval, approbation, approving, approvingly, approvement

Criminalize verb - To make or declare contrary to the law.

Usage example: wanted to criminalize an activity that the mountaineers had been engaging in for generations

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Approve is an antonym for criminalize.

Cite this Source

Criminalize and Approve. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 16, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/approve/criminalize

Approve & Criminalize. N.p., 2016. Web. 16 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/approve/criminalize>.

Criminalize or Approve. 2016. Accessed August 16, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/approve/criminalize.

Google Ngram Viewer shows how "approve" and "criminalize" have occurred on timeline