extralegal

adjective

ex·tra·le·gal ˌek-strə-ˈlē-gəl

: not regulated or sanctioned by law

extralegally

ˌek-strə-ˈlē-gə-lē

adverb

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Trump’s part to consider extralegal action. —

David Remnick, The New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2022 In the spirit of the mythic West, which has always played at the border between legal and extralegal action, Dutton has muscle on one hip and the law on the other. —

Lauren Michele Jackson, The New Yorker, 4 Feb. 2023 Thousands of extralegal killings of black citizens across the U.S. South were committed in the decades stretching from the Civil War’s immediate aftermath until the peak of the black freedom struggle a century later. —

David J. Garrow, WSJ, 6 Jan. 2023 The narrative at the heart of the report — the story of how former President Trump tried to overturn the 2020 presidential election by extralegal means — takes up less than half of the volume. —

Doyle Mcmanuswashington Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 25 Dec. 2022 His plan begins with two acts: a declaration to pursue his dreams outside of his extralegal profession, and, in this week’s episode, marrying Louie (Angela Lewis), his longtime girlfriend and business partner. —

Jordan Taliha Mcdonald, Vulture, 7 Apr. 2022 Laws are applied selectively, courtroom verdicts are dictated by party fiat, and China’s totalitarian social-credit system metes out extralegal punishment. —

Anastasia Lin, WSJ, 17 Nov. 2022 Tactics supported by the regime to achieve stability at all cost include extralegal measures like surveillance and harassment, disappearance and torture. —

Chen Guangcheng, WSJ, 25 Nov. 2022 Churchill’s vision was extralegal; no nation in the world openly allowed a foreign power to run an intelligence service on domestic soil. —

Beverly Gage, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Nov. 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'extralegal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.