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Synonyms

unlawful

American  
[uhn-law-fuhl] / ʌnˈlɔ fəl /

adjective

  1. not lawful; contrary to law; illegal.

    Synonyms:
    illicit

  2. born out of wedlock; illegitimate.

    Synonyms:
    natural, bastard
unlawful British  
/ ʌnˈlɔːfʊl /

adjective

  1. illegal

  2. illicit; immoral

    unlawful love

  3. an archaic word for illegitimate

"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

Related Words

See illegal.

Other Word Forms

  • unlawfully adverb
  • unlawfulness noun

Etymology

Origin of unlawful

First recorded in 1250–1300, unlawful is from the Middle English word unlaweful. See un- 1, lawful

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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.