outside the law
idiom
1
: not agreeing with the law : illegal
actions that may have been outside the law
2
: in an illegal way
Investigators were unable to prove that the business was operating outside the law.
Examples of outside the law in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Power is not exercised outside the law but through it.
—
Alejandro Reyes, Washington Post, 3 Feb. 2026
What is being created is not a law enforcement agency but a domestic army authorized to operate outside the law.
—Binaifer Nowrojee, Time, 30 Jan. 2026
Tully said his legal experience as a judge advocate would be critical for reining in a president acting outside the law.
—Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2026
The Security Council's tools include imposing economic sanctions on a country deemed to have acted outside the law and the charter, military action, and facilitating multinational solutions to conflicts.
—Elena Giuliano, NBC news, 5 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for outside the law
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Alejandro Reyes, Washington Post, 3 Feb. 2026
What is being created is not a law enforcement agency but a domestic army authorized to operate outside the law.
—Binaifer Nowrojee, Time, 30 Jan. 2026
Tully said his legal experience as a judge advocate would be critical for reining in a president acting outside the law.
—Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2026
The Security Council's tools include imposing economic sanctions on a country deemed to have acted outside the law and the charter, military action, and facilitating multinational solutions to conflicts.
—Elena Giuliano, NBC news, 5 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for outside the law
Cite this Entry
“Outside the law.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/outside%20the%20law. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
