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Showing results for unlawful. Search instead for unlawfuln.
Definitions

unlawful

[uhn-law-fuhl] / ʌnˈlɔ fəl /
ADJECTIVE
against the law
Synonyms
STRONGEST
illegal illegitimate illicit improper lawless nefarious prohibited unauthorized wrongful
WEAK
actionable banned bootleg criminal flagitious forbidden iniquitous outlawed taboo under-the-counter unlicensed
Antonyms
STRONGEST
allowed authorized blessed ethical good lawful legal legitimate licit moral permitted proper right rightful

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The ban was ruled unlawful in February, but remained in place pending an appeal.

From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026

Immigration and Customs Enforcement grew heated Saturday afternoon, with police declaring an unlawful assembly.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 11, 2026

The judge also ruled that the Pentagon’s closure of a special area reserved for Pentagon correspondents was unlawful and undermined the court’s previous order.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

"We're grateful the court recognized these issues need to be resolved quickly and remain confident the courts will ultimately agree that these supply chain designations were unlawful," an Anthropic spokesperson told AFP.

From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026

The shebeens were unlawful bars in the back of someone’s house.

From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah