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Definition of "unlawful" []

  • Not lawful; illegal. (adjective)
  • Contrary to accepted morality or convention; illicit. (adjective)
  • Of, relating to, or being a child or children born to unmarried parents. (adjective)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "unlawful" in a sentence
  • "He describes how he was put on suicide watch in January, how he is currently being stripped naked every night, and how he is in general terms being subjected to what he calls "unlawful pre-trial punishment"."
  • "JEANNE MESERVE, HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, the American Civil Liberties Union is suing the secretary of homeland security over what it calls unlawful searches and detentions at airports."
  • "JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Exactly, and now the American Civil Liberties Union is suing the Secretary of Homeland Security over what it calls unlawful searches and detentions at the airports."