outlaw

[out-law]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR outlaw ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a lawless person or habitual criminal, especially one who is a fugitive from the law.

a person, group, or thing excluded from the benefits and protection of the law.

a person under sentence of outlawry.

a person who refuses to be governed by the established rules or practices of any group; rebel; nonconformist: one of the outlaws of country music.

Chiefly Western U.S.

a horse that cannot be broken; a mean, intractable horse.
any rogue animal.

verb (used with object)

to make unlawful or illegal: The Eighteenth Amendment outlawed the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating beverages in the U.S.

to deprive of thebenefits and protection of the law: Members of guerrilla bands who refused to surrender were outlawed.

to prohibit: to outlaw smoking in a theater.

to remove from legal jurisdiction; deprive of legal force.

adjective

of, relating to, or characteristic of an outlaw.

Nearby words

Origin of outlaw

before 1150; Middle English outlawe, Old English ūtlaga < Old Norse ūtlagi one outside the protection of the law; see out, law¹

SYNONYMS FOR outlaw

1. desperado, bandit, brigand. 8. proscribe, ban, forbid.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR outlaw ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formsself-out·law, nounself-out·lawed, adjectiveun·out·lawed, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for outlaw

And yet, no one in Rio is calling for the end of the campaign to reclaim the outlaw zones of the city.
Rio’s Security Crisis|Mac Margolis|August 7, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Many court watchers were expecting the justices to outlaw or seriously curtail all uses of race by government actors.
Affirmative Action Lives! What Happened at the Supreme Court|Adam Winkler|June 24, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Once said to have been rewriting the rules of journalism, Assange has become an outlaw librarian.
How Julian Assange Fooled the Media Once Again|Michael Moynihan|April 16, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Hacker wins the prime ministership by denouncing an EU plot to outlaw the British sausage.
Partisanship too Far? Republicans Shouldn't Stand With Rand|David Frum|March 11, 2013|DAILY BEAST

In this case, both Israel and Australia outlaw spies violating their oath of service and betraying their country.
What Prisoner X Scandal?|Gil Troy|February 20, 2013|DAILY BEAST
If he is a notorious spendthrift they outlaw him by means of a writ presented to the magistrate.
The History of Sumatra|William Marsden
He dreaded to be forced into a position of illegality and revolt, because it would enable his enemies to outlaw him.
Lectures on the French Revolution|John Emerich Edward Dalberg-Acton
At DeBar's words the blood leaped swiftly through Philip's veins, and he laughed as he flung the outlaw's hand from his arm.
Philip Steele of the Royal Northwest Mounted Police|James Oliver Curwood
While Adam was occupying the outlaw's attention, Frank had stepped behind him, and thrown his arm around his neck.
Frank in the Mountains|Harry Castlemon
The outlaw was feeling that he was a leader not overthrown, these were his friends and followers, his safety was their safety too.
The Prodigal Judge|Vaughan Kester

British Dictionary definitions for outlaw

outlaw

noun

(formerly) a person excluded from the law and deprived of its protection

any fugitive from the law, esp a habitual transgressor

a wild or untamed beast

verb (tr)

to put (a person) outside the law and deprive of its protection

(in the US) to deprive (a contract) of legal force

to ban

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for outlaw

outlaw

Old English utlaga "one put outside the law" (and thereby deprived of its benefits and protections), from a Scandinavian source, cf. Old Norse utlagi (n.) "outlaw," from utlagr (adj.) "outlawed, banished," from ut "out" (see out (adv.)) + *lagu, plural of lag "law" (see law).

[G]if he man to deaðe gefylle, beo he þonne utlah ["Laws of Edward & Guthrum," c.924]

Meaning "one living a lawless life" is first recorded 1880. As an adjective from Old English.

outlaw

Old English utlagian "to outlaw, banish," from utlaga "an outlaw" (see outlaw (n.)). Related: Outlawed; outlawing.

outlaw

noun

verb (used with object)

adjective

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Nearby words

Origin of outlaw

Examples from the Web for outlaw

outlaw

noun

verb (tr)

outlaw

outlaw