lawbreaking 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of lawbreakingnext
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

lawbreaking

2 of 2

noun

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

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for lawbreaking
  1. criminal
  2. crime
  3. criminality
  4. rebellious
  5. illegal
  6. violation
  7. illicit
  8. sin
Adjective
  • The criminal charges in Romania are not the only legal woes facing the Tates.
    Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 19 Dec. 2024
  • Key Facts An unsealed federal criminal complaint showed Mangione is being charged with murder through use of a firearm, two stalking charges and a firearm offense, CNN reported.
    Molly Bohannon, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
Definition of criminal
Noun
  • In general, a 2005 federal law shields gun manufacturers and dealers from liability from crimes committed with their products.
    Nick Penzenstadler, USA TODAY, 20 Dec. 2024
  • The facility has 10 distinct jails, with a daily population that fluctuates depending on the city's crime rates and judicial processes.
    Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 19 Dec. 2024
Definition of crime
Noun
  • The sheer scale of the criminality meant the case was split into two trials.
    Kathleen Magramo, CNN, 6 Dec. 2024
  • Prosecutors took liberties in interpreting defendants’ literary work to imply a criminality bleeding into every aspect of their lives.
    Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 1 Nov. 2024
Definition of criminality
Adjective
  • More recently, however, Ocasio-Cortez has shown signs of abandoning at least some of the rebellious positions that defined her earliest years in office.
    Hanna Trudo, The Hill, 22 Dec. 2024
  • Americans are a rebellious bunch, so trying to stop a political figure by nearly killing him provokes the opposite reaction.
    Gord Magill, Newsweek, 22 Dec. 2024
Definition of rebellious
Adjective
  • Louisville police say anything that goes into the air or explodes is illegal for average citizens.
    James Bruggers, The Courier-Journal, 5 July 2017
  • 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
Definition of illegal
Noun
  • Particularly the no pitch intentional pass and pitch clock violation anomalies.
    Jayson Stark, The Athletic, 27 Dec. 2024
  • Accountability mechanisms would have to be built in to ensure violations come at a cost.
    Samuel Charap, Foreign Affairs, 24 Dec. 2024
Definition of violation
Adjective
  • The woman, 29, arrived at Auckland International Airport in New Zealand on a flight from Vancouver on December 8 carrying the illicit drugs in her carry-on bag, according to a release from the New Zealand Customs Service.
    Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, Fox News, 14 Dec. 2024
  • Most drones that are sighted appear to be larger than typical hobbyist models, which has also heightened concerns about their potential use for surveillance or other illicit purposes.
    Stephan Pechdimaldji, Newsweek, 14 Dec. 2024
Definition of illicit
Noun
  • The sins of the Franks and their rulers had made the land fertile for Wiggo and his friends.
    Matthew Gabriele, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Dec. 2024
  • Perhaps the biggest sin of them all, however, is just how absolutely dull and yawn-inducing Dune: Prophecy is.
    Erik Kain, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
Definition of sin
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.

Thesaurus Entries Near lawbreaking

lawbreakers

lawbreaking

lawbreakings

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Lawbreaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lawbreaking. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

Point of View: It's Personal

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Words You Always Have to Look Up
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

10 Scrabble Words Without Any Vowels
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
naughty or nice
Are you naughty or nice? Quiz He's making a quiz, and checking it twice...