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
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
Van Dyke, who is stationed at Fort Bragg near Fayetteville, North Carolina, was charged Thursday with the unlawful use of confidential government information for personal gain, theft of nonpublic government information, commodities fraud, wire fraud and making an unlawful monetary transaction.
—
Gary D. Robertson, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
He has been charged in New York federal court with unlawful use of confidential government information for personal gain, theft of nonpublic government information, commodities fraud, wire fraud and making an unlawful monetary transaction.
—Erik Ortiz, NBC news, 24 Apr. 2026
He has been charged by the Justice Department with unlawful use of confidential government information for personal gain, theft of nonpublic government information, commodities fraud, wire fraud and making an unlawful monetary transaction.
—Hallie Golden, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2026
Van Dyke is charged with three counts of violating the Commodity Exchange Act, one count of wire fraud, and one count of unlawful monetary transaction.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unlawful
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Gary D. Robertson, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
He has been charged in New York federal court with unlawful use of confidential government information for personal gain, theft of nonpublic government information, commodities fraud, wire fraud and making an unlawful monetary transaction.
—Erik Ortiz, NBC news, 24 Apr. 2026
He has been charged by the Justice Department with unlawful use of confidential government information for personal gain, theft of nonpublic government information, commodities fraud, wire fraud and making an unlawful monetary transaction.
—Hallie Golden, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2026
Van Dyke is charged with three counts of violating the Commodity Exchange Act, one count of wire fraud, and one count of unlawful monetary transaction.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unlawful
Cite this Entry
“Unlawful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unlawful. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
unlawful
adjective
un·law·ful
ˌən-ˈlȯ-fəl
ˈən-
: not lawful : being against the law : illegal
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