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
On Monday, a coalition of resettlement organizations sued the Trump administration in federal court in Seattle, holding that Trump’s suspension is unlawful.
—
Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 13 Feb. 2025
Trump has a pretty good track record of judicial vindication after engaging in conduct alleged to be unlawful.
—Jeannie Suk Gersen, The New Yorker, 13 Feb. 2025
In arguing that the president's orders are unlawful and unconstitutional, the plaintiffs said Mr. Trump does not have the power to unilaterally withhold funds that have been authorized by Congress and signed into law.
—Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 13 Feb. 2025
Maloof and her husband were unable to visit Scotland due to her unlawful detainment, attorney Lee Parks, who represents Maloof, told McClatchy News.
—Julia Marnin, Miami Herald, 12 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for unlawful 
Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 13 Feb. 2025
Trump has a pretty good track record of judicial vindication after engaging in conduct alleged to be unlawful.
—Jeannie Suk Gersen, The New Yorker, 13 Feb. 2025
In arguing that the president's orders are unlawful and unconstitutional, the plaintiffs said Mr. Trump does not have the power to unilaterally withhold funds that have been authorized by Congress and signed into law.
—Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 13 Feb. 2025
Maloof and her husband were unable to visit Scotland due to her unlawful detainment, attorney Lee Parks, who represents Maloof, told McClatchy News.
—Julia Marnin, Miami Herald, 12 Feb. 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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Even though the Hamas charter directly calls for the murder of all Jews, all people must speak out against the immoral proposal to force an entire population into exile.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Feb. 2025
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The Mann Act criminalizes transporting people across state lines for immoral purposes.—
John Annese,
New York Daily News,
12 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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At first, the illicit supply would also ship directly from China to the US, but it’s evolved into disparate streams.—
Deidre McPhillips,
CNN,
8 Feb. 2025
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Footage showed authorities removing the illicit items from his pockets following the apprehension.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
Fox News,
6 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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After all, how many evil corporations have started because a guy got embarrassed about his wiener in the woods?—
Josh Wigler,
The Hollywood Reporter,
10 Feb. 2025
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Other groups saw them as fires generated by evil sky spirits.—
Ari Daniel,
Smithsonian Magazine,
6 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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European and German authorities also announced an operation involving the FBI and other law enforcement partners that had disrupted over 100 servers associated with the criminal network Berezhnoy and Glebov were a part of, the Department of Justice said.—
Kerry Breen,
CBS News,
11 Feb. 2025
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Homan provided an update to Fox News on two ongoing probes, including a criminal investigation by the Department of Justice (DOJ), which Homan says points to a possible leak within the FBI.—
Justin Gest,
Newsweek,
11 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The dominant Christian theology of the Middle Ages held that wealth was inherently sinful in a world where most people toiled in terrible poverty.—
Brian Klaas,
The Atlantic,
7 Feb. 2025
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The concept of sinful sexuality and the lack of education around it is a clever mechanism to disconnect individuals from their inner source of power.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
22 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Nashville's Bad Idea is a wine bar and restaurant set in a former Presbyterian church that fell into disrepair after a vicious tornado.—
USA TODAY,
USA TODAY,
13 Feb. 2025
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By the time Hezbollah launched its bombardment of Israel in solidarity with Hamas' vicious attack on Israel, the militant Lebanese organization had managed to build a significant military capability under the nose of UNFIL and was more robust than ever before.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
13 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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This is due to Emilia Pérez lead Karla Sofía Gascón’s highly offensive and frankly vile tweets unearthed from several years back, which first emerged late last week.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
7 Feb. 2025
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The verdict: Its flavor was nothing short of despicably vile, which made Orly’s nail-biting polish both a gift and a curse along my journey to end my bad habit.—
Jennifer Hussein,
Allure,
30 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near unlawful
Cite this Entry
“Unlawful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unlawful. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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