extralegal

adjective

ex·​tra·​le·​gal ˌek-strə-ˈlē-gəl 

: not regulated or sanctioned by law

extralegally

ˌek-strə-ˈlē-gə-lē 

adverb

Examples of extralegal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

President Ronald Reagan would, through his extralegal maneuvering, put the Marxist Sandinistas in Nicaragua down by force. — Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2026

Packed with clashing Nazi goons and ice-cold blaxploitation paragons of extralegal justice, this season went inexplicably Tarantino, opening up arteries but also opportunities for a great actor to shine. — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 2 June 2026

These attacks often provided a larger cultural pretext for the campaigns of extralegal political violence that terrorized Black voters in the South, assassinated political leaders, and marred the integrity of several of the region’s major elections. — Robert D. Bland, The Conversation, 30 Apr. 2026

Do these overlords have their own extralegal agendas to impose upon Josh? — Judy Berman, Time, 16 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1644, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for extralegal

• paralegal
• beagle
• eagle
• legal
• regal
• riegel
• spiegel
• illegal
• viceregal
• medicolegal

Kids Definition

extralegal

adjective

ex·​tra·​le·​gal ˌek-strə-ˈlē-gəl 

: not regulated or sanctioned by law

extralegally

-gə-lē 

adverb

Legal Definition

extralegal

adjective

ex·​tra·​le·​gal ˌek-strə-ˈlē-gəl 

: not regulated or sanctioned by law

extralegally adverb