Adjacent Words

Outlaw definitions

	Tweet

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

OUT'LAW, n. A person excluded from the benefit of the law, or deprived of its protection. Formerly any person might kill an outlaw; but it is now held unlawful for any person to put to death an outlaw, except the sheriff, who has a warrant for that purpose.
OUT'LAW, v.t. To deprive of the benefit and protection of law; to proscribe.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: contrary to or forbidden by law; "an illegitimate seizure of power"; "illicit trade"; "an outlaw strike"; "unlawful measures" [syn: illegitimate, illicit, outlaw, outlawed, unlawful]
2: disobedient to or defiant of law; "lawless bands roaming the plains" [syn: lawless, outlaw] n
1: someone who has committed a crime or has been legally convicted of a crime [syn: criminal, felon, crook, outlaw, malefactor] v
1: declare illegal; outlaw; "Marijuana is criminalized in the U.S." [syn: outlaw, criminalize, criminalise, illegalize, illegalise] [ant: decriminalise, decriminalize, legalise, legalize, legitimate, legitimatise, legitimatize, legitimise, legitimize]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English outlawe, from Old English ?tlaga, from Old Norse ?tlagi, from ?t out (akin to Old English ?t out) + lag-, l?g law — more at out, law Date: before 12th century 1. a person excluded from the benefit or protection of the law 2. a. a lawless person or a fugitive from the law b. a person or organization under a ban or restriction c. one that is unconventional or rebellious 3. an animal (as a horse) that is wild and unmanageable • outlaw adjective II. transitive verb Date: before 12th century 1. a. to deprive of the benefit and protection of law ; declare to be an outlaw b. to make illegal <outlawed dueling> 2. to place under a ban or restriction 3. to remove from legal jurisdiction or enforcement • outlawry noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. 1 a fugitive from the law. 2 hist. a person deprived of the protection of the law. --v.tr. 1 declare (a person) an outlaw. 2 make illegal; proscribe (a practice etc.). Phrases and idioms: outlaw strike an unofficial strike. Derivatives: outlawry n. Etymology: OE utlaga, utlagian f. ON útlagi f. útlagr outlawed, rel. to OUT, LAW

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Outlaw Out"law`, n. [AS. ?tlaga, ?tlah. See Out, and Law.] A person excluded from the benefit of the law, or deprived of its protection. --Blackstone.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Outlaw Out"law`, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Outlawed; p. pr. & vb. n. Outlawing.] [AS. ?tlagian.] 1. To deprive of the benefit and protection of law; to declare to be an outlaw; to proscribe. --Blackstone. 2. To remove from legal jurisdiction or enforcement; as, to outlaw a debt or claim; to deprive of legal force. ``Laws outlawed by necessity.'' --Fuller.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(outlaws, outlawing, outlawed) 1. When something is outlawed, it is made illegal. In 1975 gambling was outlawed... The German government has outlawed some fascist groups. ...the outlawed political parties. = ban VERB: be V-ed, V n, V-ed 2. An outlaw is a criminal who is hiding from the authorities. (OLD-FASHIONED) N-COUNT

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. n. Robber, bandit, brigand, freebooter, highwayman, marauder. II. v. a. Proscribe.

Moby Thesaurus

DP, Ishmael, Judas, Uitlander, abstract, actionable, against the law, alien, anarchic, anarchistic, anomic, bad guy, bad person, badman, ban, bandit, banish, bar, barbarian, betrayer, black-market, blackball, blacklist, bootleg, boycott, brigand, cast off, cast out, castaway, chargeable, chuck, clear, clear away, clear out, clear the decks, contraband, contrary to law, convict, criminal, crook, cut, cut out, debar, deceiver, declasse, delinquent, deny, deport, deracine, derelict, desperado, desperate criminal, disallow, disfellowship, displaced person, dispose of, double-dealer, eject, elide, eliminate, embargo, emigre, enjoin, eradicate, evictee, evildoer, exclude, exclude from, excommunicate, exile, expatriate, expel, expellee, extradite, felon, felonious, flawed, footpad, forbid, foreign devil, foreigner, fugitate, fugitive, gallows bird, gangster, gaolbird, get quit of, get rid of, get shut of, gringo, gunman, gunslinger, highwayman, illegal, illegitimate, illicit, impermissible, inhibit, interdict, irregular, jailbird, justiciable, lawbreaker, lawless, leper, liquidate, malefactor, malevolent, malfeasant, malfeasor, misfeasor, mobster, nonconstitutional, nonlegal, nonlicit, ostracize, outcast, outcast of society, outcaste, outlander, outlawed, outsider, pariah, persona non grata, picaroon, pick out, pirate, preclude, prevent, prohibit, proscribe, public enemy, punishable, purge, quisling, racketeer, refugee, refuse, reject, relegate, remove, renegade, repress, robber, root out, root up, rule out, rusticate, say no to, scofflaw, send away, send down, send to Coventry, shut out, sinner, snub, social outcast, spurn, stranger, strike off, strike out, suppress, swindler, taboo, the Wandering Jew, thief, throw over, throw overboard, thrust out, thug, traitor, tramontane, transgressor, transport, triable, two-timer, ultramontane, unacceptable person, unallowed, unauthorized, unconstitutional, under-the-counter, under-the-table, undesirable, unlawful, unofficial, unstatutory, untouchable, unwarrantable, unwarranted, villain, wanderer, weed out, worker of ill, wrongdoer, wrongful