unlawful
adjective
un·law·ful
ˌən-ˈlȯ-fəl 
1
a
: not lawful : illegal
unlawful actions
b
: acting contrary to or in defiance of the law
an unlawful possessor
2
: not morally right or conventional
Examples of unlawful in a Sentence
The sale of alcohol to minors is unlawful.
it is unlawful to set off fireworks within the city limits
Recent Examples on the Web
The 27-year-old founder of a Sikh motorcycle club that prosecutors say was linked to the notorious Hells Angels has been sentenced for illegally dealing in firearms and unlawful possession of a machine gun.
—
Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 14 May 2026
The Justice Department has repeatedly argued that the information sought in the subpoenas is needed to investigate possible fraud or unlawful off-label promotion of drugs.
—ABC News, 14 May 2026
The government claimed that the program was unlawful under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, which bars credit discrimination based in part on race or ethnicity.
—Kristen Parisi, Fortune, 14 May 2026
The ruling meant the tariffs shouldn’t have been imposed and thus were unlawful from the beginning.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for unlawful
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Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 14 May 2026
The Justice Department has repeatedly argued that the information sought in the subpoenas is needed to investigate possible fraud or unlawful off-label promotion of drugs.
—ABC News, 14 May 2026
The government claimed that the program was unlawful under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, which bars credit discrimination based in part on race or ethnicity.
—Kristen Parisi, Fortune, 14 May 2026
The ruling meant the tariffs shouldn’t have been imposed and thus were unlawful from the beginning.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for unlawful
Cite this Entry
“Unlawful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unlawful. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
unlawful
adjective
un·law·ful
ˌən-ˈlȯ-fəl
ˈən-
: not lawful : being against the law : illegal
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