Vocabulary Builder — Essay & Answer Writing
Decriminalise
verb
/ dee-KRIM-in-al-ize /
Medium
Meaning
To remove the criminal character from an act or behaviour; to convert a criminal offence into a civil violation punishable by fine rather than imprisonment.
Origin / Etymology
Latin de (removal) + criminalis (of a crime)
Synonyms
Legalise
Liberalise
Relax
Reform
Antonyms
Criminalise
Penalise
Prohibit
Example Sentence
"The Jan Vishwas Act 2023 decriminalised 183 provisions across 42 central Acts, replacing imprisonment clauses with monetary fines for minor regulatory violations."
🎯 UPSC Usage
Central concept in India's ease of doing business reforms. The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2023 is India's most comprehensive decriminalisation exercise — converting technical business violations from criminal to civil offences reduces judicial pendency and removes the threat of imprisonment from honest entrepreneurs for procedural defaults. Use in GS-2 (Governance) and GS-3 (Business reforms).