drug-legalization
|drug-leg-a-li-za-tion|
🇺🇸
/drʌɡ ˌliːɡəlɪˈzeɪʃən/
🇬🇧
/drʌɡ ˌliːɡ(ə)lɪˈzeɪʃ(ə)n/
making drugs lawful
Etymology
'drug-legalization' originates from English, formed by combining 'drug' and 'legalization'. 'drug' comes from Old French 'drogue' (from uncertain Germanic or Dutch sources) where it referred to a medicinal substance, and 'legalization' comes from 'legalize' + suffix '-ation', ultimately from French 'légaliser' and Late Latin roots related to 'lex' (law).
'drug' entered English via Old French 'drogue' and Middle English forms; 'legalization' developed from the verb 'legalize' (19th century English/French 'légaliser'), which comes from adjective 'legal' (from Latin 'legalis'). The compound 'drug-legalization' is a modern English formation combining these elements to denote making drugs lawful.
Initially, 'drug' simply denoted a (often medicinal) substance and 'legal' meant 'pertaining to the law'; over time 'legalization' came to mean the formal process of making something lawful, and 'drug-legalization' acquired the specific political sense of changing laws to permit certain controlled substances.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the act, process, or policy of making the production, sale, possession, or use of certain drugs lawful under the legal system.
The government's announcement on drug-legalization sparked heated debate across the country.
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Noun 2
a political movement, campaign, or position that supports changing laws to permit certain drugs to be legally regulated or sold.
Drug-legalization activists argued that regulation would reduce harms and free up law-enforcement resources.
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Last updated: 2025/11/08 06:53