as in criminal
not restrained by or under the control of legal authority
some sociologists specialize in studying the lawbreaking elements of society
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in crime
a breaking of a moral or legal code
even something as simple as littering is considered an example of lawbreaking
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in criminality
activities that are in violation of the laws of the state
an outbreak of lawbreaking plagued the city in the months following the end of the war
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lawbreaking
Adjective
-
Ventura previously filed a civil lawsuit against Combs in 2023 that was settled within 24 hours, but the allegations led to a criminal investigation, as well as dozens of lawsuits from other people making similar claims about Combs.—
Janeé Bolden,
HollywoodReporter,
30 May 2025 -
The trial will not be televised, as cameras are typically not allowed in federal criminal trial proceedings.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
30 May 2025
Noun
-
The season ends with Coop driving away from Jack’s house, rejecting the office life and doubling down on crime.—
Barry Levitt,
Time,
30 May 2025
-
Since the teen didn't have a criminal record, the state Department of Juvenile Services characterized the offenses as lower-level crimes and allowed him to be released, Hamill said.—
Louis Casiano,
FOXNews.com,
30 May 2025
Noun
-
For decades, cannabis was associated with rebellion, subversion, and in some cases, criminality.—
Cassell Ferere,
Forbes.com,
19 Apr. 2025
-
This shift undermines the association of cannabis with criminality or deviance.—
Tribune Content Agency,
Mercury News,
15 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
These two regions are no longer promising New World upstarts or rebellious outposts of Bordeaux.—
Jessica Dupuy,
Forbes.com,
21 May 2025
-
Meanwhile, Paul finds himself in a work crisis that puts the lifestyle of Julie and their rebellious son Russ (Simon Webster) in jeopardy, leading Julie back to the dopey sweetness of Carey.—
Esther Zuckerman,
IndieWire,
19 May 2025
Adjective
-
Official fireworks shows took place over the city, and illegal pyrotechnics lit up the sky everywhere in between.—
Lisa Beebe,
Los Angeles Magazine,
5 July 2017
-
Louisville police say anything that goes into the air or explodes is illegal for average citizens.—
James Bruggers,
The Courier-Journal,
5 July 2017
Noun
-
In the meantime, the city has received several reports of property violations in recent years on 925 Grand: piles of bird droppings, falling debris, people entering through unsecured entrances.—
Chris Higgins,
Kansas City Star,
26 May 2025
-
All appeals have been dropped, though the 30 Rock actor and now reality star in January filed paperwork to pursue a civil rights violations lawsuit against the special prosecutors.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
25 May 2025
Adjective
-
Instead of calling for an expansive probe, however, the president identified just one potential target: ActBlue, the Democrats’ online fundraising juggernaut, which has acknowledged receiving over 200 potentially illicit contributions last year from foreign internet addresses.—
Brian Slodysko,
Los Angeles Times,
27 May 2025
-
Wetherell wrote that Trump's justification for the tariffs -- both stemming the flow of illicit drugs into the country and resolving a trade imbalance -- is sufficient to satisfy the terms set by Congress.—
Peter Charalambous,
ABC News,
23 May 2025
Noun
-
And the sin that Crespo supposedly committed to warrant banishment?—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
19 May 2025
-
For his part, Misch has not come close to showing remorse nor confessing his sins.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
14 May 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Lawbreaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lawbreaking. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share