( BrE also de·crim·in·al·ise ) / diːˈkrɪmɪnəlaɪz; NAmE / verb
[ vn ] to change the law so that sth is no longer illegal :
There are moves to decriminalize some soft drugs.
SYN criminalize
► de·crim·in·al·iza·tion , de·crim·in·al·isa·tion / diːˌkrɪmɪnəlaɪˈzeɪʃn; NAmE -ləˈz-/ noun [ U ]