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 Justice Department filed a complaint against the company in 2023, accusing it of violating the False Claims Act and the Controlled Substances Act by filling unlawful prescriptions for oxycodone and fentanyl, CBS News reported.
—
Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 31 Dec. 2025
Fourteen months earlier, Jordan’s NASCAR Cup Series team (23XI Racing) joined with another Cup team (Front Row Motorsports) in a lawsuit claiming that NASCAR was an unlawful monopoly.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 31 Dec. 2025
That debt topped $4 billion due to expensive legal battles for allegedly filling unlawful opioid prescriptions.
—Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 30 Dec. 2025
But, the decision was muddied after the administration appealed to the Supreme Court, which decided that the directives to terminate awards related to DEI were likely unlawful but that individual researchers would have to take their complaints to federal claims court.
—Jonathan Wosen, STAT, 29 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unlawful
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Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 31 Dec. 2025
Fourteen months earlier, Jordan’s NASCAR Cup Series team (23XI Racing) joined with another Cup team (Front Row Motorsports) in a lawsuit claiming that NASCAR was an unlawful monopoly.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 31 Dec. 2025
That debt topped $4 billion due to expensive legal battles for allegedly filling unlawful opioid prescriptions.
—Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 30 Dec. 2025
But, the decision was muddied after the administration appealed to the Supreme Court, which decided that the directives to terminate awards related to DEI were likely unlawful but that individual researchers would have to take their complaints to federal claims court.
—Jonathan Wosen, STAT, 29 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unlawful
Cite this Entry
“Unlawful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unlawful. Accessed 3 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
unlawful
adjective
un·law·ful
ˌən-ˈlȯ-fəl
ˈən-
: not lawful : being against the law : illegal
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