unlaw

1 of 2

noun

un·​law
"+
1
: a violation of law : disregard of the restraints of law : illegality, lawlessness
times of unlaw alternate with times of law—Frederick Pollock & F. W. Maitland
2
Scots law : a fine or amercement for a violation of law

unlaw

2 of 2

transitive verb

"
1
Scots law : to impose a fine upon
2
[un- entry 2 + law, noun] obsolete : to deprive of the character of a law : annul

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English unlawe, from Old English unlagu, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse ōlög, ūlög illegality, lawlessness, from ō-, ū- un- + lög law

Transitive verb

Middle English (Scots) unlawen, from unlawe, noun

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

  • More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
  • Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
  • Advanced search features
  • Ad free!

Dictionary Entries Near unlaw

unlaureled

unlaw

unlawed

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Unlaw.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unlaw. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

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

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
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
little chihuahua dressing like a turkey for thanksgiving
Giving Thanks Quiz Decide which words express gratitude and which gi...