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Scofflaw Was Created for a Contest
In 1924, a wealthy Massachusetts Prohibitionist named Delcevare King sponsored a contest in which he asked participants to coin an appropriate word to mean "a lawless drinker." King sought a word that would cast violators of Prohibition laws in a light of shame. Two respondents came up independently with the winning word: scofflaw, formed by combining the verb scoff and the noun law. Henry Dale and Kate Butler, also of Massachusetts, split King’s $200 prize. Improbably, despite some early scoffing from language critics, scofflaw managed to pick up steam in English and expand to a meaning that went beyond its Prohibition roots, referring to one who violates any law, not just laws related to drinking.
Examples of scofflaw in a Sentence
Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 22 July 2025
The data show that more than 25 scofflaws have dozens of unpaid parking tickets.
—Tony Plohetski, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration needs to wake up to the problem, crack down on the scofflaws and enforce its own regulations.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 27 July 2025
The latest list of the Top 100 scofflaws includes individuals, businesses, hospitals, and nursing homes, among others.
—Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 13 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for scofflaw
Cite this Entry
“Scofflaw.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scofflaw. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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