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

Dooley was charged with unlawful conduct toward a child and has since been released from custody, a Charleston Police Department spokesperson told ABC News, citing information from the Charleston County Sheriff's Office website. — Shafiq Najib, ABC News, 8 Nov. 2026

Not surprisingly, Bianco’s unlawful actions resulted in litigation. — Los Angeles Times, 8 Nov. 2026

Chrinos was charged with carrying a rifle outside a home or business, three counts of unlawful transportation of a firearm, three counts of unregistered firearms and three counts of unregistered ammunition, DHS said. — Kyla Guilfoil, NBC news, 7 Nov. 2026

The initiative will target foreign adversaries and domestic actors who exploit advanced systems for unlawful purposes. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 6 Nov. 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