unlawful

adjective

un·​law·​ful ˌən-ˈlȯ-fəl 

1

: not lawful : illegal

2

: not morally right or conventional

unlawfully

ˌən-ˈlȯ-f(ə-)lē 

adverb

unlawfulness

ˌən-ˈlȯ-fəl-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• 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

Trump asked the Supreme Court to take up the tariff dispute last week, filing a petition for the court to hear the case on an expedited basis after the Federal Circuit ruled the tariffs are unlawful. —Alison Durkee, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025

Bortlen pleaded no contest to one count of tampering with a witness, two counts of being an accessory to a capital felony, and one count of unlawful use of a two-way communication device. —Matthew Strauss, Pitchfork, 9 Sep. 2025

On Tuesday the Supreme Court ruled that Thaksin’s prolonged hospital stay last year was unlawful and ordered him to serve his sentence at Bangkok Remand Prison, according to the court. —Helen Regan, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2025

Or, the court could find that the tariffs are entirely unlawful, and end them. —Danielle Kurtzleben, NPR, 9 Sep. 2025

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