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Scofflaw Was Created for a Contest
In 1924, a wealthy Massachusetts Prohibitionist named Delcevare King sponsored a contest in which he asked participants to coin an appropriate word to mean "a lawless drinker." King sought a word that would cast violators of Prohibition laws in a light of shame. Two respondents came up independently with the winning word: scofflaw, formed by combining the verb scoff and the noun law. Henry Dale and Kate Butler, also of Massachusetts, split King’s $200 prize. Improbably, despite some early scoffing from language critics, scofflaw managed to pick up steam in English and expand to a meaning that went beyond its Prohibition roots, referring to one who violates any law, not just laws related to drinking.
Examples of scofflaw in a Sentence
Paul Wiseman, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 2026
Far from a mixed message, the presence of dedicated cigarette waste bins — when smoking has long been banned on flights — is a safety requirement meant to act as a layer of protection against scofflaws.
—Hannah Sampson, Washington Post, 28 Apr. 2026
The administration could punish scofflaws with new tariffs.
—ABC News, 27 Apr. 2026
There were about 100,000 licensed dogs as of 2024, but that accounts for only a small fraction of the canine population, which is mostly composed of scofflaws.
—Rachel Sugar, Curbed, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scofflaw
Cite this Entry
“Scofflaw.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scofflaw. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
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