as in illegality
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Recent Examples of unlawfulness
But in a court-martial, a service member who argues that an order is unlawful has the burden of proving its unlawfulness.
—
Joshua Kastenberg, The Conversation, 16 Dec. 2025
Many people at Harvard and elsewhere feared that the university would reach a deal with the Administration before Judge Burroughs’s decision, because that would have meant that no court would declare the unlawfulness of the Administration’s actions toward academic institutions.
—Jeannie Suk Gersen, New Yorker, 6 Sep. 2025
Joshua Kastenberg, The Conversation, 16 Dec. 2025
Many people at Harvard and elsewhere feared that the university would reach a deal with the Administration before Judge Burroughs’s decision, because that would have meant that no court would declare the unlawfulness of the Administration’s actions toward academic institutions.
—Jeannie Suk Gersen, New Yorker, 6 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unlawfulness
Noun
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While lower prices are welcome news for consumers, cannabis businesses have had difficulty making money due to high financing and operating costs, and an inability to take normal business tax deductions due to the drug’s illegality under federal law.—
Robert McCoppin,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Feb. 2026
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Speaking out in that way is not illegality.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 Jan. 2026
Noun
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But your research suggests that there might be genetic factors that lead to aggressive behavior or other forms of criminality.—
Fiction Non Fiction,
Literary Hub,
9 Apr. 2026
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For much of the 20th century in the United States, tattoos were associated with rebellion and criminality — linked to prisoners, gangs and subcultures, as well as servicemen like sailors and soldiers.—
Panashe Matemba-Mutasa,
Mercury News,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Earlier that year, Orbán’s government was rocked by public furor over the decision by Hungary’s president, Katalin Novák, to pardon the deputy director of a children’s home who had helped cover up the abuse of underaged boys.—
Christian Edwards,
CNN Money,
12 Apr. 2026
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In some cases, these measures may even invite abuse.—
Mike Smith,
Denver Post,
12 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Israeli officials and military leaders have recently sounded the alarm over intensifying violence and lawlessness by extremist settlers in the occupied West Bank, where arsons and deadly attacks have continued unabated.—
Sam Metz,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Apr. 2026
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As Euphoria’s creator, writer, and director, Sam Levinson wants to craft a show about the pervasiveness of fentanyl, the dangers of addiction, and the lawlessness of the American West.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The Vatican says fighting corruption in the mineral-rich country and insisting on the correct uses of political authority are expected to be themes of Leo’s visit, which starts Wednesday with his arrival in Yaounde, the capital.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Apr. 2026
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The election reflects Peru’s deep political instability — nine presidents in ten years — amid voter anger over crime and corruption, though the country’s economy has remained relatively resilient.—
Franklin Briceño,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unlawfulness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unlawfulness. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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