1
as in illegal
contrary to or forbidden by law
it is unlawful to set off fireworks within the city limits
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in immoral
not conforming to a high moral standard; morally unacceptable
a sympathetic look at the unlawful love between a married physician and an adoring colleague
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unlawful
The state of Texas will enforce its laws and protect our communities from unlawful actions or threats posed by EPIC or its affiliates.
—
Lee Habeeb, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Apr. 2025
Sullivan last week pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree kidnapping, first-degree assault, cruelty to persons, first-degree reckless endangerment and first-degree unlawful restraint.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 3 Apr. 2025
The mother and her boyfriend were arrested for assault, child endangerment, and unlawful imprisonment.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 2 Apr. 2025
Officers added at the time that she'd been arrested and charged with assault in the first degree, kidnapping in the second degree, unlawful restraint in the first degree, cruelty to persons and reckless endangerment in the first degree.
—Becca Longmire, People.com, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unlawful
Lee Habeeb, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Apr. 2025
Sullivan last week pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree kidnapping, first-degree assault, cruelty to persons, first-degree reckless endangerment and first-degree unlawful restraint.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 3 Apr. 2025
The mother and her boyfriend were arrested for assault, child endangerment, and unlawful imprisonment.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 2 Apr. 2025
Officers added at the time that she'd been arrested and charged with assault in the first degree, kidnapping in the second degree, unlawful restraint in the first degree, cruelty to persons and reckless endangerment in the first degree.
—Becca Longmire, People.com, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unlawful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unlawful
Adjective
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Louisville police say anything that goes into the air or explodes is illegal for average citizens.—
James Bruggers,
The Courier-Journal,
5 July 2017
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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
Adjective
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Firms carrying out an immoral contract in court may face other discipline.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2025
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This legislation made its way through Congress back then in part because there was societal acceptance of the false belief that the Chinese were immutably immoral and threatening.—
Agustina Vergara Cid,
Oc Register,
30 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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For many years, China has been the largest source of both legal supplies of the drug – which is prescribed for severe pain relief – and illicit supplies of precursor chemicals that are typically processed in labs in Mexico before the final product is smuggled across the US border.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
28 Mar. 2025
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In March 2025, more than 650,000 fentanyl pills were seized, following a record of $300 million worth of illicit fentanyl taken off the streets since 2023.—
Paul Du Quenoy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Lillard’s career catapulted following his turn in the flick as Stu Macher, one-half of the evil duo (including Ulrich’s Billy Loomis) behind the savage killings at Woodsboro High.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
30 Mar. 2025
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No country will afford to regimes which practice racial discrimination assistance which in its own judgment directly contributes to the pursuit or consolidation of this evil policy.—
Ron Estes,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Additionally, financial transactions indicating criminal activity, such as money laundering, contribute to the score.—
Verónica Egui Brito,
Miami Herald,
31 Mar. 2025
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Bennett, the attorney, is a former federal prosecutor who served in the office of independent counsel Kenneth Starr from 1995 to 1999, when Starr was conducting a criminal investigation of then-President Bill Clinton.—
Dan Mangan,
CNBC,
31 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Driven by a religious mandate to purify society by stopping sinful behavior, the AFMRS’s missionaries provided direct outreach to low-income areas.—
Jenna Deep,
Smithsonian Magazine,
27 Mar. 2025
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Here's the list of least-to-most sinful states, according to WalletHub: TRAVELERS FLOCK TO TOP RELIGIOUS LANDMARKS DEEMED 'MOST INSTAGRAMMABLE' (iStock) 50.—
Andrea Margolis,
Fox News,
3 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Softened by pride, Amber slinks away herself, albeit much more cutely than Gregory and accompanied by a vicious side-eye.—
Ile-Ife Okantah,
Vulture,
3 Apr. 2025
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Mikal, Tonya and Jason are vicious, screaming and hurling vile truths at one another.—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
30 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Snow White gets a much more meaningful backstory The original Disney film begins with a few short sentences about how Snow White was forced to work as a scullery maid for her vile stepmother, the Queen.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA TODAY,
21 Mar. 2025
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Newsweek's efforts to politicize the death of these individuals, including the reporter's request to confirm names and locations of death, are vile.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
19 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unlawful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unlawful. Accessed 10 Apr. 2025.
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