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
Multiple lawsuits from advocacy groups, Capitol police officers and others call the program unlawful and corrupt, as Congress presses acting Atty.
—
Michael Kunzelman, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2026
Kelly's mother, Barbara Renner, is charged with manslaughter, and her daughter, Elyssa Seymore, is charged with unlawful imprisonment.
—Mahsa Saeidi, CBS News, 28 May 2026
Chaney was certified as an adult in Jackson County Family Court last week was charged with one count of first-degree assault, two counts of armed criminal action and one count of unlawful use of a weapon in Jackson County Circuit Court on Thursday.
—Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 27 May 2026
Jett was arrested the following day and was charged with third-degree assault and battery and three counts of unlawful neglect of a child.
—Sean Joseph Outkick, FOXNews.com, 27 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for unlawful
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.
Michael Kunzelman, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2026
Kelly's mother, Barbara Renner, is charged with manslaughter, and her daughter, Elyssa Seymore, is charged with unlawful imprisonment.
—Mahsa Saeidi, CBS News, 28 May 2026
Chaney was certified as an adult in Jackson County Family Court last week was charged with one count of first-degree assault, two counts of armed criminal action and one count of unlawful use of a weapon in Jackson County Circuit Court on Thursday.
—Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 27 May 2026
Jett was arrested the following day and was charged with third-degree assault and battery and three counts of unlawful neglect of a child.
—Sean Joseph Outkick, FOXNews.com, 27 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 1 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
unlawful
adjective
un·law·ful
ˌən-ˈlȯ-fəl
ˈən-
: not lawful : being against the law : illegal
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
