unlawful

[uhn-law-fuh l]

See more synonyms for unlawful on Thesaurus.com

adjective

not lawful; contrary to law; illegal.
born out of wedlock; illegitimate.

Origin of unlawful

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

Related formsun·law·ful·ly, adverbun·law·ful·ness, noun

Synonyms

See more synonyms for unlawful on Thesaurus.com

1. illicit. See illegal. 2. bastard, natural.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for unlawful

Contemporary Examples

Dovgan is only one of many cases of unlawful detention, according to Human Rights Watch Senior Research Tanya Lokshina.
The Corrupt Cops of Rebel-Held East Ukraine
Kristina Jovanovski
December 11, 2014
Among these are obscenity, defamation, fighting words, express incitement to unlawful conduct, and threats.
Does Free Speech Cover Murder Fantasies? The Supreme Court’s Definition of a ‘Threat’
Geoffrey R. Stone
December 1, 2014
We were then told we were all being arrested for ‘unlawful protesting.’
Dispatch From USC Protests over Ferguson
Maya Richard Craven
November 30, 2014
He also revealed his view that the operation itself had been unlawful: it was “not legal because no finding.”
How the Reagan White House Bungled Its Response to Iran-Contra Revelations
Malcolm Byrne
November 3, 2014
The military insists that civilian deaths are investigated whenever allegations of unlawful killing are made.
Obama's Pentagon Covered Up War Crimes in Afghanistan, Says Amnesty International
Nico Hines, Sami Yousafzai
August 11, 2014

Historical Examples

No lawful passion can ever be so bewildering or ecstatic as an unlawful one.
Malbone
Thomas Wentworth Higginson
An unlawful expedient can not become a permanent condition of government.
United States Presidents' Inaugural Speeches
Various
Yet I respect this marriage of thine, as all Muslims must—for all that in itself it was unlawful.
The Sea-Hawk
Raphael Sabatini
In Ezra, the Tenth, the ram is offered for a trespass because of an unlawful marriage.
An Orkney Maid
Amelia Edith Huddleston Barr
And they say, that the military uniforms now introducing, are haram or unlawful.
Journal of a Residence at Bagdad
Anthony Groves

British Dictionary definitions for unlawful

unlawful

adjective

illegal
illicit; immoralunlawful love
an archaic word for illegitimate

Derived Formsunlawfully, adverbunlawfulness, noun

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 unlawful

adj.

c.1300, from un- (1) "not" + lawful. Unlawful assembly is recorded in statutes from late 15c. Related: Unlawfully.

unlawful

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}unlawful

Synonyms

Examples from the Web for unlawful

Contemporary Examples

Dovgan is only one of many cases of unlawful detention, according to Human Rights Watch Senior Research Tanya Lokshina.

Among these are obscenity, defamation, fighting words, express incitement to unlawful conduct, and threats.

We were then told we were all being arrested for ‘unlawful protesting.’

He also revealed his view that the operation itself had been unlawful: it was “not legal because no finding.”

The military insists that civilian deaths are investigated whenever allegations of unlawful killing are made.

Historical Examples

No lawful passion can ever be so bewildering or ecstatic as an unlawful one.

An unlawful expedient can not become a permanent condition of government.

Yet I respect this marriage of thine, as all Muslims must—for all that in itself it was unlawful.

In Ezra, the Tenth, the ram is offered for a trespass because of an unlawful marriage.

And they say, that the military uniforms now introducing, are haram or unlawful.

unlawful

Word Origin and History for unlawful

adj.

Origin of unlawful