ENGLISH
REFERENCE

legalized

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈɫiɡəˌɫaɪzd// le·gal·ized

adj. allowed by law after being illegal for a long time. You use this to describe something that the government has officially made okay to do.

adj. made lawful by the enactment of new legislation or the removal of previous prohibitions. Often used as a participial adjective to describe activities or substances that were formerly illicit.


SIMPLE

The legalized market for sports betting is growing quickly.

CONTEXTUAL

Many economists argue that a legalized industry is easier to regulate and tax than an underground one.

COMPLEX

The transition to a legalized framework required the state to establish rigorous oversight committees to ensure that former black-market operators were excluded from the new licensing process.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Usage

Often used as a participial adjective following a linking verb or preceding a noun.

Pitfall

The government legalized of the drug.The government legalized the drug.When used as a verb, it is transitive and takes a direct object without a preposition.

© 2026 English Reference