1. the act or process of making something illegal; the state of being made illegal by law

Examples

• The illegalization of certain drugs occurred in the early 20th century.
• Advocates pushed for the illegalization of child labor in factories.
• The illegalization of smoking in public spaces has been implemented in many countries.
• Environmental groups supported the illegalization of single-use plastics.
• The illegalization of discrimination based on race was a major civil rights achievement.
• Some argue that the illegalization of homelessness criminalizes poverty rather than solving it.