adjective
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illegal
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illicit; immoral
unlawful love
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an archaic word for illegitimate
Synonym Usage
See illegal.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of unlawful
First recorded in 1250–1300, unlawful is from the Middle English word unlaweful. See un- 1, lawful
Compare meaning
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It has called for anyone being held beyond the legal period to be taken to court or released, and any alleged unlawful detentions or disappearances to be independently investigated.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
The previous decisions were ruled unlawful and sent back to the regulator Opred to be taken again.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
When they returned through an airport or border, the stain of their original unlawful entry was erased.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
Customs and Border Protection had received just over 252,000 refund applications as of July 31 for tariffs declared unlawful by the Supreme Court.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
The shebeens were unlawful bars in the back of someone’s house.
From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
