unlawful

1 of 2

adjective

un·​law·​ful ˌən-ˈlȯ-fəl How to pronounce unlawful (audio)
Synonyms of unlawfulnext
1
a
: not lawful : illegal
unlawful actions
b
: acting contrary to or in defiance of the law
an unlawful possessor
2
: not morally right or conventional
unlawfully
ˌən-ˈlȯ-f(ə-)lē How to pronounce unlawful (audio)
adverb
unlawfulness
ˌən-ˈlȯ-fəl-nəs How to pronounce unlawful (audio)
noun

unlawfulness

2 of 2

noun

un·​law·​ful·​ness
: the quality or state of being unlawful

Synonyms of unlawful

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Adjective

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of unlawful in a Sentence

Adjective The sale of alcohol to minors is unlawful. it is unlawful to set off fireworks within the city limits
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Blanchard argued that the terminations were unlawful because the government had already entered into binding agreements and obligated the funding. — Erin Mansfield, USA Today, 7 July 2026 Mark Aaron Gatz pleaded guilty Monday to violating fire restrictions and unlawful residential use of a federal forest as part of a plea agreement. — Dennis Romero, NBC news, 8 July 2026 As the crowd quickly grew into the thousands, dangerous and unlawful behavior escalated, blocking roadways, preventing emergency access and putting families, visitors and first responders at risk. — Kelsie Cairns, FOXNews.com, 6 July 2026 Kayden Bordley, 19, faces one count each of second-degree murder and unlawful use of a weapon, and two counts of armed criminal action, according to a Jackson County charging document. — Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 7 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for unlawful

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of unlawful was in the 14th century

Rhymes for unlawful

See All Rhymes for unlawful

Browse Nearby Words

unlawed
unlawful
unlawfully
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unlawful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unlawful. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

unlawful

adjective
un·​law·​ful ˌən-ˈlȯ-fəl How to pronounce unlawful (audio)
ˈən-
: not lawful : being against the law : illegal
unlawfully
-f(ə-)lē How to pronounce unlawful (audio)
adverb
unlawfulness
-fəl-nəs How to pronounce unlawful (audio)
noun

Legal Definition

unlawful

adjective
un·​law·​ful
1
: not lawful : not authorized or justified by law
2
: acting contrary to or in defiance of the law
an unlawful possessor
unlawfully adverb
unlawfulness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on unlawful

Nglish: Translation of unlawful for Spanish Speakers

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