outlaw

1 of 3

noun (1)

out·​law ˈau̇t-ˌlȯ 

1

: a person excluded from the benefit or protection of the law

2

a

: a lawless person or a fugitive from the law

b

: a person or organization under a ban or restriction

c

: one that is unconventional or rebellious

3

: an animal (such as a horse) that is wild and unmanageable

outlaw adjective

outlaw

2 of 3

verb

outlawed; outlawing; outlaws

transitive verb

1

a

: to deprive of the benefit and protection of law : declare to be an outlaw

b

: to make illegal

outlawed dueling

2

: to place under a ban or restriction

3

: to remove (as a claim) from legal jurisdiction or enforcement

outlawry

ˈau̇t-ˌlȯr-ē 

noun

outlawry

3 of 3

noun (2)

out·​law·​ry -rē 

-ri

plural -es

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 outlawry

—Shakespeare

compare fugitation

b

: banishment, exile

on his outlawry was allowed five days to leave the country

—E. 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 nothing

—Henry Adams

3

: the act of barring a debt, claim, or right (as by operation of a statute of limitations)

Synonyms of outlaw

Verb

• ban
• criminalize
• illegalize

Examples of outlaw in a Sentence

Noun (1)

Billy the Kid was one of the most famous outlaws of America's early history.

Verb

That type of gun was outlawed last year.

The government passed a bill outlawing the hiring of children under the age of 12.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Stokes is set for the role of Ronnie Whitlock, who leads with an outlaw smile and a devil-may-care attitude, a fire burning within him. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 23 June 2026

Produced by Studio Mir, the series is set in a frontier populated by outlaws, machines and supernatural threats. — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 23 June 2026

Verb

And while homosexuality isn’t outlawed in Egypt, members of the LGBTQ+ community can be prosecuted for violating public decency laws. — Ben Church, CNN Money, 26 June 2026

People of faith gathered in secrecy for services, and religion was outlawed. — Mark Temnycky, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English outlawe, from Old English ūtlaga, from Old Norse ūtlagi, from ūt out (akin to Old English ūt out) + lag-, lǫg law — more at out entry 1, law

Noun (2)

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

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for outlaw

• aa
• aha
• bashaw
• bradshaw
• byelaw
• bylaw
• chainsaw
• cheraw
• coleslaw
• crenshaw
• dada
• esau

Kids Definition

outlaw

1 of 2 noun

out·​law ˈau̇t-ˌlȯ 

1

: a person who is not given the protection of the law

2

: a lawless person or one who is running away from the law

3

: an animal (as a horse) that is wild and hard to control

outlaw adjective

outlaw

2 of 2 verb

1

: to deprive of the protection of law

2

: to make illegal

dueling was outlawed

outlawry

ˈau̇t-ˌlȯ(ə)r-ē 

noun

Legal Definition

outlaw

1 of 2 noun

out·​law ˈau̇t-ˌlȯ 

1

: a person excluded from the benefit or protection of the law

a trespasser is not an outlaw

2

: a lawless person or a fugitive from the law

3

: a person or organization (as a nation) under a ban or restriction or considered to be in defiance of norms or laws

considered an outlaw for its support of terrorism

outlaw

2 of 2 transitive verb

: to make illegal

outlawry

ˈau̇t-ˌlȯr-ē 

noun

Etymology

Noun

Old English ūtlaga, from Old Norse ūtlagi, from ūt out + lag, lǫg law