unlawful

adjective

ˌən-ˈlȯ-fəl How to pronounce unlawful (audio)
Definition of unlawfulnext
1
as in illegal
contrary to or forbidden by law it is unlawful to set off fireworks within the city limits

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in immoral
not conforming to a high moral standard; morally unacceptable a sympathetic look at the unlawful love between a married physician and an adoring colleague

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of unlawful In addition, Pelosi was charged with an infraction of making an unlawful turn, Napa County prosecutors said Friday. — ABC News, 17 July 2026 On Wednesday evening, the department held a community meeting to unveil its new education and enforcement campaign targeting unsafe and unlawful behavior on the electric vehicles. — Rose Evans july 17, Idaho Statesman, 17 July 2026 Prosecutors also filed an infraction charge for making an unlawful turn. — Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 17 July 2026 Andrews was ultimately found guilty of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, attempted armed robbery and unlawful possession of a weapon, per the news release from the State’s Attorney’s Office. — Aurora Beacon-News, Chicago Tribune, 17 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for unlawful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unlawful
  1. illicit
  2. immoral
  3. criminal
  4. evil
  5. sinful
  6. vicious
  7. vile
  8. bad
Adjective
  • In the latter case, it is found especially in countries where alcoholic drinks are hard to afford or illicit.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 July 2026
  • In Phoenix, this shift in the illicit drug supply has combined with heat, meth and homelessness to create an emerging crisis of overdose deaths in America’s fifth-largest city.
    — Josh Katz, New York Times, 15 July 2026
Definition of illicit
Adjective
  • Some rabbinic readings attribute Lot’s hesitation to leave Sodom to his immoral greed and inordinate wealth.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 July 2026
  • Court records show that 60-year-old Bradley Kyle Martin, of Dearborn Heights, is charged with using a computer or internet to communicate with another person to commit a crime and accosting children for immoral purposes.
    — DeJanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 25 June 2026
Definition of immoral
Adjective
  • Because Hostin had no criminal history and cooperated with officers, police said he was issued a summons for trespass and released.
    — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 21 July 2026
  • The arrests were approved by the leaders of the Justice Department’s criminal division, a source told CNN.
    — Julianna Bragg, CNN Money, 21 July 2026
Definition of criminal
Adjective
  • In addition to the Griffins’ evil-genius toddler son, MacFarlane will voice Bean, Stewie’s man-of-very-few-words classmate who was dropped on his head one too many times.
    — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 22 July 2026
  • With the franchise’s trademark blend of extreme gore and dark humor, the Evil Dead backstory centers on the ancient Book of the Dead that unleashes supernatural evil forces and twists victims into sadistic, shape-shifting, near-invincible monsters.
    — Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 21 July 2026
Definition of evil
Adjective
  • My prescribed low-carb, caffeine-free diet sounded horrifying on paper, but my sinful pleasures were replaced with a tasty, high-quality, and healthy alternative that left me more energized.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 July 2026
  • Critics also have challenged the report’s characterization of cases involving women, contending these were consensual affairs that were sinful but not abusive.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 June 2026
Definition of sinful
Adjective
  • Harbaugh had tense standoffs with legacy defenders Ed Reed, Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs and, during the 2012 season, held a sitdown with his players to address their vicious and personal attacks on his approach.
    — Ian O'Connor, New York Times, 22 July 2026
  • The film also shows Maddox and her father in a vicious argument inside her car that illustrates the fracturing of their once-close bond.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 22 July 2026
Definition of vicious
Adjective
  • Here, though, the entire enterprise is vile, and futile, and irredeemable, made worse by the self-delusion of the people who pursue it.
    — Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 21 July 2026
  • Finally, if companies like Hilton are going to investigate and fire every employee who posts something vile online, the workforce could become noticeably thinner.
    — Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 15 July 2026
Definition of vile
Adjective
  • The situation is particularly bad in France, which has already recorded more than 300 wildfires this year, compared to an annual average of 93, according to the EFFIS.
    — Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 24 July 2026
  • Anderson’s injury record is slightly worse by virtue of a stress fracture in his back that kept him out for four months in the middle of the 2023-24 season, but over the two subsequent campaigns both have been near-constantly available.
    — Cerys Jones, New York Times, 24 July 2026
Definition of bad

Browse Nearby Words

unlatching
unlawful
unlawfulness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unlawful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unlawful. Accessed 25 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on unlawful

Nglish: Translation of unlawful for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
chain-question-mark
Missing Link Quiz July 2026 Five seconds to figure out the word that fits bot...
See All