1
: a person excluded from the benefit or protection of the law
2
a
: a lawless person or a fugitive from the law
b
: a person or organization under a ban or restriction
c
: one that is unconventional or rebellious
3
: an animal (such as a horse) that is wild and unmanageable
outlaw
adjective
outlawed; outlawing; outlaws
1
a
: to deprive of the benefit and protection of law : declare to be an outlaw
b
: to make illegal
outlawed dueling
2
: to place under a ban or restriction
3
: to remove from legal jurisdiction or enforcement
Examples of outlaw in a Sentence
Noun
Billy the Kid was one of the most famous outlaws of America's early history.
Verb
That type of gun was outlawed last year.
The government passed a bill outlawing the hiring of children under the age of 12.
Recent Examples on the Web
Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 27 Apr. 2025
The trailer for the Western drama dropped Wednesday, showing Baldwin as a notorious outlaw who helps his grandson escape from jail after he's sentenced to death for murder.
—Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 26 Mar. 2025
Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 15 Apr. 2025
While the feds rule the sky, the city can regulate where helicopters are permitted to land — a move made by city officials who outlawed rooftop landings following the 1977 Pan Am crash.
—Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for outlaw
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Noun
The signing corpse in question here is that of a real-life outlaw, a man vividly named Elmer McCurdy, born in Maine in 1880 and variously a plumber, lead miner and boozer who decided that robbing banks and trains was a more lucrative way to pay for his whisky.
—Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 27 Apr. 2025
The trailer for the Western drama dropped Wednesday, showing Baldwin as a notorious outlaw who helps his grandson escape from jail after he's sentenced to death for murder.
—Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 26 Mar. 2025
Verb
The organization was outlawed in 2021 due to alleged extremist views, which led to a 19-year sentence for its leader, who died in an Arctic penal colony last year.
—Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 15 Apr. 2025
While the feds rule the sky, the city can regulate where helicopters are permitted to land — a move made by city officials who outlawed rooftop landings following the 1977 Pan Am crash.
—Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for outlaw
Cite this Entry
“Outlaw.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/outlaw. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
outlaw
1 of 2 noun
out·law
ˈau̇t-ˌlȯ 
1
: a person who is not given the protection of the law
2
: a lawless person or one who is running away from the law
3
: an animal (as a horse) that is wild and hard to control
outlaw
adjective
outlaw
2 of 2 verb1
: to deprive of the protection of law
2
: to make illegal
dueling was outlawed
Legal Definition
outlaw
1 of 2 noun
out·law
ˈau̇t-ˌlȯ
1
: a person excluded from the benefit or protection of the law
a trespasser is not an outlaw
2
: a lawless person or a fugitive from the law
3
: a person or organization (as a nation) under a ban or restriction or considered to be in defiance of norms or laws
considered an outlaw for its support of terrorism
Etymology
Noun
Old English ūtlaga, from Old Norse ūtlagi, from ūt out + lag, lǫg law
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