unlawful

1 of 2

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

unlawfulness

2 of 2

noun

un·​law·​ful·​ness

: the quality or state of being unlawful

Synonyms of unlawful

Adjective

• illegal
• illicit
• criminal

Examples of unlawful in a Sentence

Adjective

The sale of alcohol to minors is unlawful.

it is unlawful to set off fireworks within the city limits

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Holding an election during the war would be unlawful and Ukraine would need security guarantees to allow for safe voting, Zelenskyy added. — Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2026

Zelensky added that holding a vote during the war would be unlawful and that Ukraine would need security guarantees to allow people to vote safely. — Susie Blann, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026

Zelenskyy added that holding an election during the war would be unlawful and that Ukraine would need security guarantees to allow for safe voting. — ABC News, 11 Oct. 2026

Federal authorities later charged him with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. — Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

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