ENGLISH DICTIONARY

Unlawful

Definition, Meaning & Examples

Part of speech adjective

Quick meaning: Unlawful is an adjective meaning (law) Prohibited; not permitted by law (either civil or criminal law; see illegal).

Meaning

(law) Prohibited; not permitted by law (either civil or criminal law; see illegal).

Example Sentences

He was charged with unlawful use of a car.
That year a U.S. appeals court found the program Snowden had exposed was unlawful and that the U.S. intelligence leaders who publicly defended it were not telling the truth.

Synonyms for unlawful

Depending on context, synonyms include crimeful, criminal, illegal, illegitimate, illicit, lawbreaking.

Antonyms for unlawful

Common opposites include lawful.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include illicit, illegal, illegitimate, outlawed, lawless, outlaw.

Related Dictionary Tools

Sources & Attribution

FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0

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