unlawful

adjective

un·​law·​ful ˌən-ˈlȯ-fəl 

1

a

: not lawful : illegal

unlawful actions

b

: acting contrary to or in defiance of the law

an unlawful possessor

2

: not morally right or conventional

unlawfully

ˌən-ˈlȯ-f(ə-)lē 

adverb

unlawfulness

ˌən-ˈlȯ-fəl-nəs 

noun

Synonyms of unlawful

• illegal
• illicit
• criminal

Examples of unlawful in a Sentence

The sale of alcohol to minors is unlawful.

it is unlawful to set off fireworks within the city limits

Recent Examples on the Web

Federal authorities at the time said the man was arrested on suspicion of assault and unlawful possession of a firearm. —Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2026

Coleman has previously been convicted of six felonies, according to the probable cause statement, two being unlawful use of a weapon. —Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 7 Feb. 2026

We are confronted by an administration that is contemptuous of the Bill of Rights and engaged in unlawful acts of violence against us. —Chris Mattei, Hartford Courant, 6 Feb. 2026

Their goal is to watch for abuses of power or unlawful stops and create a database with information about who is being detained. —Shira Moolten, Sun Sentinel, 6 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for unlawful

• awful
• lawful
• offal
• waffle

Kids Definition

unlawful

adjective

un·​law·​ful ˌən-ˈlȯ-fəl 

ˈən-

: not lawful : being against the law : illegal

unlawfully

-f(ə-)lē 

adverb

unlawfulness

-fəl-nəs 

noun

Legal Definition

unlawful

adjective

un·​law·​ful

1

: not lawful : not authorized or justified by law

2

: acting contrary to or in defiance of the law

an unlawful possessor

unlawfully adverb

unlawfulness noun