Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense outlaws, present participle outlawing, past tense, past participle outlawed
1. verb
When something is outlawed, it is made illegal.
In 1975 gambling was outlawed. [beVERB-ed]
The German government has outlawed some fascist groups. [VERB noun]
...the outlawed political parties. [VERB-ed]
Synonyms: ban, bar, veto, forbid More Synonyms of outlaw
2. countable noun
An outlaw is a criminal who is hiding from the authorities.
[old-fashioned]
Jesse was an outlaw, a bandit, a criminal.
Synonyms: bandit, criminal, thief, crook [informal] More Synonyms of outlaw
More Synonyms of outlaw
outlaw in British English
(ˈaʊtˌlɔː)
noun
1.
(formerly) a person excluded from the law and deprived of its protection
2.
any fugitive from the law, esp a habitual transgressor
3.
a wild or untamed beast
verb(transitive)
4.
to put (a person) outside the law and deprive of its protection
5.
(in the US) to deprive (a contract) of legal force
6.
to ban
outlaw in American English
(ˈaʊtˌlɔ)
noun
1. Obsolete
a person declared by a court of law to be deprived of legal rights and protection, generally for the commission of some crime: the killing of such a person was not a legal offense
2.
a habitual or notorious criminal who is a fugitive from the law
3.
a fierce or uncontrollable horse or other animal
verb transitive
4. Obsolete
to declare to be an outlaw
5.
in the U.S., to remove the legal force of (contracts, etc.)
6.
to declare unlawful or illegal
7.
to bar, or ban
Word origin
ME outlawe < OE utlaga < ON útlagr, lit., outlawed: see out & law
Examples of 'outlaw' in a sentence
outlaw
It became so bad that prison bosses also outlawed the main ingredients, sugar and fruit.
The Sun (2017)
The FA outlawed the practice in 2008 ruling that it encouraged players to be bought and sold to allow unscrupulous investors to cash in.
The Sun (2016)
This outlawed the use of such evidence save in certain specified exceptional circumstances.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Was a particular outlaw forced into crime by social conditions?
Colin Beavan FINGERPRINTS: Murder and the Race to Uncover the Science of Identity (2002)
The proposals would also outlaw guaranteed bonuses.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
We have outlawed play and banned childhood.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Office staff and visitors are also outlawed from munching the confectionery on school grounds.
The Sun (2016)
In previous years the island has also outlawed wooden clogs and the wearing of bikinis in town.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Its members fought a valiant and largely successful battle to overturn the legal structure of segregation and to outlaw racial discrimination.
Christianity Today (2000)
And age discrimination will be outlawed.
The Sun (2008)
The judges held that a directive outlawing discrimination at work on the ground of disability extends to those caring for disabled people.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
They don't want merely to lower the termination limit but aim to outlaw the practice.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
So credit to the Government for saying it will act fast to outlaw the practice.
The Sun (2016)
But there is pressure to outlaw the practice if the undisclosed details were completely unconnected to the cause of death or forgotten inadvertently.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Discount offers should be outlawed and a ban considered for promotions by clinics, such as billboard adverts.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
The money has been used to build high-tech vessels that are routinely breaching quotas and using outlawed fishing practices.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Actors were expecting to be banned from lighting up on stage when the Government outlaws smoking in public places next summer.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
At 76, the legendary country outlaw just gets better and better.
The Sun (2009)
In other languages
outlaw
British English: outlaw VERB
When something is outlawed, it is made illegal.
The practice has now been outlawed.
American English: outlaw
Brazilian Portuguese: declarar fora da lei
Chinese: 宣布…为非法
European Spanish: declarar ilegal
French: proscrire
German: verbieten
Italian: dichiarare illegale
Japanese: 非合法化する
Korean: 법으로 금지되다
European Portuguese: declarar fora da lei
Latin American Spanish: declarar ilegal
British English: outlaw NOUN
An outlaw is a criminal who is hiding from the authorities.
He was an outlaw, a bandit, a criminal.
American English: outlaw
Brazilian Portuguese: fora-da-lei
Chinese: 逃犯
European Spanish: proscrito
French: hors-la-loi
German: Geächtete
Italian: fuorilegge
Japanese: 無法者
Korean: >도망자범죄를 저지른
European Portuguese: fora-da-lei
Latin American Spanish: criminal escapando de las autoridades
Chinese translation of 'outlaw'
outlaw
(ˈautlɔː)
vt
[activity, organization]宣布(佈) ... 为(為)非法 ... (xuānbù ... wéi fēifǎ)
n(c)
逃犯 (táofàn) (名, míng)
(noun)
Definition
a criminal who has been deprived of legal protection and rights
a band of desperate outlaws
Synonyms
bandit
Reports say he was killed in an attack by armed bandits.
criminal
He was put in a cell with several hardened criminals.
thief
The thieves snatched the camera.
crook (informal)
The man is a crook and a liar.
robber
Armed robbers broke into a jewellers.
fugitive
He was a fugitive from justice.
outcast
She had always been an outcast, unwanted and alone.
delinquent
a young delinquent
felon
He's a convicted felon.
or woman">highwayman or woman
He had a mask tied round his face like a highwayman.
desperado
The judge described him as a `wicked desperado' and jailed him for life.
marauder
They were raided by roaming bands of marauders.
brigand
He looked like a scruffy brigand.
lawbreaker
The money should be spent on training first-time lawbreakers to earn an honest living.
footpad (archaic)
1 (verb)
Definition
to make (something) illegal
The new government has outlawed some extremist groups.
Synonyms
ban
Last year arms sales were banned.
bar
They have been barred from playing in several countries.
veto
De Gaulle vetoed Britain's application to join the EEC.
forbid
They'll forbid you to leave.
condemn
exclude
The orchestra excluded children younger than twelve.
embargo
They embargoed oil shipments to the US.
suppress
prohibit
the law which prohibits trading on Sunday
banish
disallow
He ruled that my testimony should be disallowed.
proscribe
They are proscribed by federal law from owning guns.
make illegal
interdict
Troops could be ferried in to interdict drug shipments.
criminalize
Opposites
support
,
allow
,
approve
, permit,
sanction
,
consent
,
endorse
,
authorize
,
legalize
2 (verb)
Definition
to make (someone) an outlaw
He should be outlawed for his crimes against the state.
Synonyms
banish
He was banished from England.
excommunicate
In 1656 Spinoza was excommunicated because of his religious views.
ostracize
She is being ostracized by members of her local community.
put a price on (someone's) head
Additional synonyms
in the sense of bar
Definition
to exclude
They have been barred from playing in several countries.
Synonyms
exclude,
ban,
forbid,
prohibit,
keep out of,
disallow,
shut out of,
ostracize,
debar,
blackball,
interdict,
black
in the sense of brigand
Definition
a bandit, esp. a member of a gang operating in mountainous areas
He looked like a scruffy brigand.
Synonyms
bandit,
outlaw,
robber,
gangster,
plunderer,
or woman">highwayman or woman,
desperado,
marauder,
ruffian,
freebooter,
footpad (archaic)
in the sense of criminal
Definition
a person guilty of a crime
He was put in a cell with several hardened criminals.
Synonyms
lawbreaker,
convict,
con (slang),
offender,
crook (informal),
lag (slang),
villain,
culprit,
sinner,
delinquent,
felon,
conman or woman (informal),
con artist (informal),
rorter (Australian, slang),
jailbird,
malefactor,
evildoer,
transgressor,
skelm (South Africa),
rogue trader,
perp (US, Canadian, informal)
Synonyms of 'outlaw'
outlaw
Explore 'outlaw' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of crook
Definition
a dishonest person
The man is a crook and a liar.
Synonyms
criminal,
rogue,
cheat,
thief,
shark,
lag (slang),
villain,
robber,
racketeer,
fraudster,
swindler,
knave (archaic),
grifter (slang, US, Canadian),
chiseller (informal),
skelm (South Africa)
in the sense of delinquent
Definition
someone, esp. a young person, who breaks the law
a young delinquent
Synonyms
criminal,
offender,
villain,
culprit,
young offender,
wrongdoer,
juvenile delinquent,
miscreant,
malefactor,
lawbreaker
in the sense of desperado
Definition
a reckless person ready to commit any violent illegal act
The judge described him as a `wicked desperado' and jailed him for life.
Synonyms
criminal,
thug,
outlaw,
villain,
gangster,
or woman">gunman or woman,
bandit,
mugger (informal),
cut-throat,
hoodlum (US),
ruffian,
wise guy (US),
face (British, slang),
heavy (slang),
lawbreaker,
skelm (South Africa)
in the sense of disallow
Definition
to reject as untrue or invalid
He ruled that my testimony should be disallowed.
Synonyms
reject,
refuse,
ban,
dismiss,
cancel,
veto,
forbid,
embargo,
prohibit,
rebuff,
repudiate,
disown,
proscribe,
disavow,
disclaim,
abjure
in the sense of embargo
Definition
to place an official prohibition on
They embargoed oil shipments to the US.
Synonyms
block,
stop,
bar,
ban,
restrict,
boycott,
check,
prohibit,
impede,
blacklist,
proscribe,
ostracize,
debar,
interdict
in the sense of exclude
Definition
to keep out
The orchestra excluded children younger than twelve.
Synonyms
keep out,
bar,
ban,
veto,
refuse,
forbid,
boycott,
embargo,
prohibit,
disallow,
shut out,
proscribe,
black,
refuse to admit,
ostracize,
debar,
blackball,
interdict,
prevent from entering
in the sense of excommunicate
Definition
to expel (someone) from membership of a church and ban him or her from taking part in its services
In 1656 Spinoza was excommunicated because of his religious views.
Synonyms
expel,
ban,
remove,
exclude,
denounce,
banish,
eject,
repudiate,
proscribe,
cast out,
unchurch,
anathematize
in the sense of felon
Definition
(formerly) a person who committed a serious crime
He's a convicted felon.
Synonyms
criminal,
convict,
con (slang),
offender,
crook (informal),
villain,
culprit,
sinner,
delinquent,
jailbird,
malefactor,
evildoer,
transgressor,
lawbreaker,
skelm (South Africa),
lag (slang),
perp (US, Canadian, informal)
in the sense of forbid
Definition
to prohibit or refuse to allow
They'll forbid you to leave.
Synonyms
prohibit,
ban,
disallow,
proscribe,
exclude,
rule out,
veto,
outlaw,
inhibit,
hinder,
preclude,
make illegal,
debar,
interdict,
criminalize
in the sense of fugitive
Definition
a person who flees, esp. from arrest or pursuit
He was a fugitive from justice.
Synonyms
runaway,
refugee,
deserter,
outlaw,
escapee,
runagate (archaic)
Additional synonyms
in the sense of highwayman
Definition
(formerly) a robber, usually on horseback, who held up travellers on public roads
He had a mask tied round his face like a highwayman.
Synonyms
bandit,
robber,
brigand,
outlaw,
highway robber
in the sense of interdict
Definition
to prohibit or forbid
Troops could be ferried in to interdict drug shipments.
Synonyms
prohibit,
bar,
ban,
prevent,
veto,
forbid,
outlaw,
disallow,
proscribe,
debar,
criminalize
in the sense of lawbreaker
Definition
a person who breaks the law
The money should be spent on training first-time lawbreakers to earn an honest living.
Synonyms
criminal,
convict,
offender,
violater,
crook (informal),
villain,
culprit,
sinner,
delinquent,
felon,
trespasser,
wrongdoer,
miscreant,
transgressor,
skelm (South Africa),
perp (US, Canadian, informal)
in the sense of marauder
They were raided by roaming bands of marauders.
Synonyms
raider,
outlaw,
bandit,
pirate,
robber,
ravager,
plunderer,
pillager,
buccaneer,
brigand,
corsair,
sea wolf,
freebooter,
reiver (dialect),
cateran (Scottish),
mosstrooper
in the sense of ostracize
Definition
to exclude or banish (a person) from a particular group or from society
She is being ostracized by members of her local community.
Synonyms
exclude,
reject,
boycott,
avoid,
exile,
expel,
snub,
banish,
shun,
shut out,
blacklist,
cold-shoulder,
cast out,
excommunicate,
blackball,
give (someone) the cold shoulder,
send to Coventry
in the sense of outcast
Definition
a person who is rejected or excluded from a particular group or from society
She had always been an outcast, unwanted and alone.
Synonyms
pariah,
exile,
outlaw,
undesirable,
untouchable,
leper,
vagabond,
wretch,
persona non grata
in the sense of prohibit
Definition
to forbid by law or other authority
the law which prohibits trading on Sunday
Synonyms
forbid,
ban,
rule out,
veto,
outlaw,
disallow,
proscribe,
debar,
interdict,
criminalize
in the sense of proscribe
Definition
to prohibit (something)
They are proscribed by federal law from owning guns.
Synonyms
prohibit,
ban,
forbid,
boycott,
embargo,
interdict
in the sense of robber
Armed robbers broke into a jewellers.
Synonyms
thief,
raider,
burglar,
looter,
stealer,
fraud (informal),
cheat,
pirate,
bandit,
plunderer,
mugger (informal),
or woman">highwayman or woman,
conman or woman (informal),
fraudster,
swindler,
brigand,
grifter (slang, US, Canadian),
footpad (archaic),
rogue trader
in the sense of thief
Definition
a person who steals something from another
The thieves snatched the camera.
Synonyms
robber,
crook (informal),
burglar,
stealer,
bandit,
plunderer,
mugger (informal),
shoplifter,
embezzler,
pickpocket,
pilferer,
swindler,
purloiner,
housebreaker,
footpad (archaic),
cracksman (slang),
larcenist
Additional synonyms
in the sense of veto
Definition
to prohibit or forbid
De Gaulle vetoed Britain's application to join the EEC.