Definition

The condition of being against the law or not allowed by law.

Example

The unlawful act led to serious consequences for the offenders.

Conversation

Did you hear about the recent case involving unlawfulness in that protest?

Yeah, it’s crazy how some people think they can just break the law without consequences.

Right? It makes you wonder how the authorities will handle the situation.

Exactly! They need to set a clear example to prevent more unlawfulness.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Unlawfulness → It is formed from "un-" (meaning not) and "law" (from Old English "lagu", meaning a rule or regulation) and "-fulness" (meaning the state of being full of). The word "unlawfulness" means the state of being not lawful or not conforming to the law.

Memory Tip

Think of 'not' ('un-') being combined with 'law' to describe a state that is 'full of' ('-fulness') actions that are not lawful.

Visually Confused Words