The meaning of UNLAWFUL is not lawful : illegal. How to use unlawful in a sentence.

adjective illegal, criminal, illicit, banned, forbidden, prohibited, outlawed, illegitimate, unlicensed, under-the-table, unauthorized, against the law, actionable employees who believe their dismissal was unlawful

Add to word list not according to or acceptable to the law: unlawful behavior / business practices / discrimination (Definition of unlawful from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge …

Definition of unlawful adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

Dec 20, 2025 · unlawful (comparative more unlawful, superlative most unlawful) He was charged with unlawful use of a car. That year a U.S. appeals court found the program Snowden had exposed was …

There are six meanings listed in OED's entry for the word unlawful, one of which is labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

The term unlawful is a general description for conduct that is illegal or not authorized by law. The term is sometimes used in a more narrow sense; for instance, unlawful may refer only to conduct that is …

UNLAWFUL definition: not lawful; contrary to law; illegal. See examples of unlawful used in a sentence.

Aug 6, 2025 · Unlawful is an adjective used to describe something that is not authorized by law, illegal, or forbidden under legal statutes. Basically, if an action or behavior is unlawful, it violates specific …

If something is unlawful, the law does not allow you to do it. ...employees who believe their dismissal was unlawful. A pushed-in window indicated unlawful entry. ...the councils' assertion that the …