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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Protesters held banners decrying criminality and calling for law and order.—
Anand Gopal,
New Yorker,
28 Feb. 2026
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Far from accidental, these highly intentional strikes are one of the untold stories of Russian criminality.—
U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal,
Hartford Courant,
28 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Those were the cameras that captured the guards’ abuse and neglect of Mitchell four years later.—
USA Today,
USA Today,
8 Mar. 2026
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Evaluating this requires examining abuses, military aggression, humanitarian violations, sanctions, and judgments by bodies like the United Nations and the International Court of Justice.—
Ken Barnes,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
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While the president boasts 70%-plus approval ratings, many in Mexico are fed up with the rampant lawlessness.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Mar. 2026
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The series primarily concerns Flint's efforts to wrangle his crew and protect the lawlessness of the island New Providence, as well as quests to attain treasure across the high seas.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Xi in recent years has supercharged an effort aimed at rooting out military corruption — since 2022, some 100 top officers have been dismissed or sidelined, a recent study estimated.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
3 Mar. 2026
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Political parties have pledged to amplify the voices of younger voters, promising to tackle corruption and improve governance.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unlawfulness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unlawfulness. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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