felonize
verb/ˈfɛlənaɪz/
Etymology From felony + -ize.
1
To classify a crime as a felony.
- January 2015 The War on Drugs Is Burning Out Rolling Stone Prop 47 also de-felonized nonviolent theft of less than $950.
- May 2018 Medical Marijuana Not a State Crime on College Campuses, AZ Supreme Court Rules Phoenix New Times That law, pushed by university officials and cannabis prohibitionists, re-felonized marijuana on college campuses for medical patients.
1 more example
- Big Car has figured out that if it encrypts its diagnostic messages, it can felonize third-party diagnosis of a car, because decrypting the messages violates the DMCA2024 March 12, Cory Doctorow, “Your car spies on you and rats you out to insurance companies”, in Pluralistic:
2
To classify a person as a felon.
- June 2018 California Experience Drove Principal to Teach Rio Grande Sun Archuleta tells his most difficult students that they will be principals one day. “They look at me like, ‘Huh? You’re crazy,’” he said. “A lot of me really feels it. Because I’m them. It was fortunate that my activism didn’t get me felonized, because I wouldn’t be where I’m at today.” He believes his life is a credit to Jesus.
- Derived terms
- de-felonize, re-felonize
- Related terms
- criminalize, misdemeanorize, outlaw