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

Lee had earlier been charged in the days after Bravo’s death with four counts of possession of an assault weapon, and a federal warrant for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution was issued a month later. —Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 24 Dec. 2025

Naod Yohannes, 25, is charged with simple assault, arson and unlawful acts of violence in a penal institution. —Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 23 Dec. 2025

Bennett also faces charges of second-degree assault and unlawful possession of a firearm in connection to the armed encounter with officers in Ramsey County. —Wcco Staff, CBS News, 23 Dec. 2025

Prosecutors initially charged Guerrero with second-degree murder, two counts of armed criminal action, and unlawful use of a weapon. —Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 23 Dec. 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