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

• criminal
• felonious
• illegal
• illegitimate
• illicit
• lawless
• wrongful

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

The court concluded that the administration’s unilateral actions without approval by Congress were unlawful. —Adam S. Minsky, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025

Of note: Your Content must not be false, defamatory, misleading or hateful, or infringe any copyright or any other third-party rights or otherwise be unlawful. —Will Matsuda, New York Times, 23 May 2025

James was also charged with unlawful possession of a weapon after officers recovered a loaded 9 mm pistol equipped with a laser sight and loaded magazine, police said. —Dennis Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 21 May 2025

Most judges have deemed the firings unlawful, prompting appeals by the Justice Department. —Ella Lee, The Hill, 21 May 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