Criminalize and Sanction
Opposite meaning words
Criminalize
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
Sanction is an antonym for criminalize.
Sanction
Sanction verb - To give official acceptance of as satisfactory.
Criminalize is an antonym for sanction.
Cite this Source
Sanction and Criminalize. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 15, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/criminalize/sanction
Criminalize & Sanction. N.p., 2016. Web. 15 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/criminalize/sanction>.
Sanction or Criminalize. 2016. Accessed August 15, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/criminalize/sanction.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "criminalize" and "sanction" have occurred on timeline