outlawry

noun

out·​law·​ry -rē How to pronounce outlawry (audio)
-ri
plural -es
Synonyms of outlawrynext
1
a
: the act of outlawing : the act or process of putting a person outside the protection of the law
by proscription and bills of outlawryShakespeare
compare fugitation
b
: banishment, exile
on his outlawry was allowed five days to leave the countryE. A. Freeman
c
: the act or process of making something illegal
the outlawry of war
the outlawry of atomic weapons
2
: the state of living outside the law : freedom from legal or conventional restraint
These midnight hours were fateful ones to Jurgis; in them was the beginning of his rebellion, of his outlawry and his unbelief.Upton Sinclair, The Jungle, 1906
Quincy … was liberty, outlawry, the endless delight of impressions given by nature for nothingHenry Adams
3
: the act of barring a debt, claim, or right (as by operation of a statute of limitations)

Word History

Etymology

Middle English outlagerie, outlagarie, outlawerie, from Anglo-French utlagerie & Medieval Latin utlagaria, from Middle English outlage outlaw + Old French -erie -ery & Latin -aria -ary respectively

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Cite this Entry

“Outlawry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/outlawry. Accessed 17 Dec. 2025.

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