unlawful
part of speech
adjective (unlawful) — formal
meaning for a pupil
Not allowed by law; against the law; illegal. tree →
sense in the lessons
In formal language, news and law, «unlawful» means illegal: unlawful killing, unlawful entry. In citizenship and safety lessons, it helps to understand that some actions break the law. Adverb: unlawfully.
examples
- It is unlawful to sell alcohol to children. tree →
- The judge said the arrest was unlawful. tree →
- Unlawful entry means going into a building without the right to. tree →
- The court called the sacking unlawful. tree →
- Dumping rubbish in the river is unlawful. tree →
- He was charged with unlawful possession of a weapon. tree →
note
Same as illegal but more formal. Opposite: lawful, legal. Do not write «unlegal».
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «unlawful» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.