Dictionary

outlaw en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈaʊt.lɔ/ (US)
• /ˈæɔt.loː/ (Australia)
• (Australia) audio
• /ˈaʊt.lɔː/ (UK)
• /ˈaʊt.lɑ/ (cot-caught-merger)

Etymology

From Middle English outlawe, outlagh, utlaȝe, from Old English ūtlaga (“outlaw”), borrowed from Old Norse útlagi (“outlaw, fugitive”), equivalent to out- + law. Cognate with Icelandic útlagi (“outlaw”).

Meanings

1. A fugitive from the law.
   • “I am going to a certain tower, one of three that were built in my grandsire’s time to guard Lantern Waste against certain perilous outlaws who dwelled there in his day. […]" 1956, C. S. Lewis, chapter 5, in The Last Battle, Collins, published 1998:
2. A criminal who is excluded from normal legal rights; one who can be killed at will without legal penalty.
3. A person who operates outside established norms.
   • The main character in the play was a bit of an outlaw who refused to shake hands or say thank you.
4. A wild or violent animal, such as a horse.
5. (humorous) An in-law: a relative by marriage.
6. (humorous) One who would be an in-law except that the marriage-like relationship is unofficial.
7. (slang) A prostitute who works alone, without a pimp.
   • Without a pimp, she was an "outlaw," likely to be harassed, or threatened with assault or robbery on the street. 1977, Joseph Julian, Social Problems, page 463:
   • She was an outlaw. Chance is doing some double-checking to see if she had a pimp nobody knew about, but it doesn't look likely. 2010, Lawrence Block, Eight Million Ways To Die:

Forms

Deriveds

outlawdom · outlawish · outlaw country · outlawness · outlawism · outlawry · outlaw state

Hypernyms

prostitute (prostitute) · criminal (criminal)

Relateds

scofflaw

Synonyms

bandit (criminal) · fugitive (fugitive) · deviant (person who operates outside established norms) · anti-hero (person who operates outside established norms) · wolf's head (criminal) · absconder (fugitive)

Translations (68)

cmn 野馬 /野马 (wild horse) · nrf proscrit (a fugitive from the law) · cy gŵr deol (a fugitive from the law) · eo eksterleĝulino (a fugitive from the law) · cmn 亡命徒 (a fugitive from the law) · ro persoană fără de lege (person without legal rights) · it fuorilegge (a fugitive from the law) · sh izopćenik (a fugitive from the law) · nl vogelvrije (a fugitive from the law) · la proscriptus (a fugitive from the law) · da fredløs (a fugitive from the law) · fi lainsuojaton (person without legal rights) · ru разбо́йница (a fugitive from the law) · sv bandit (a fugitive from the law) · sh razbojnik (a fugitive from the law) · ru изго́й (person without legal rights) · el αγριάλογο (wild horse) · mk одметник (a fugitive from the law) · fr hors-la-loi (a fugitive from the law) · el παράνομος (a fugitive from the law) · ru престу́пница (a fugitive from the law) · es proscrito (person without legal rights) · is útilegumaður (a fugitive from the law) · bg беглец (a fugitive from the law) · ja 逃走犯 (a fugitive from the law) · mk бе́галец (a fugitive from the law) · bg мустанг (wild horse) · pt fora de lei (a fugitive from the law) · enm outlawe (person without legal rights) · grc φυγάς (a fugitive from the law) · ang ūtlaga (a fugitive from the law) · nl vogelvrije (person without legal rights) · sh odmetnik (a fugitive from the law) · ru отве́рженная (person without legal rights) · et lindprii (a fugitive from the law) · gl gallofo (a fugitive from the law) · pt fora da lei (a fugitive from the law) · ja 逃亡者 (a fugitive from the law) · hu törvényen kívüli (a fugitive from the law) · es forajido (a fugitive from the law) · sv fredlös (person without legal rights) · grc παράνομος (a fugitive from the law) · is útlagi (a fugitive from the law) · es proscripto (person without legal rights) · el φυγάς (a fugitive from the law) · de Ächtung (person without legal rights) · eo eksterleĝulo (a fugitive from the law) · gl foraxido (a fugitive from the law) · tl taunlabas (a fugitive from the law) · fi lainsuojaton (a fugitive from the law) · ja 逃走者 (a fugitive from the law) · ru изгна́нник (person without legal rights) · ru изгна́нница (person without legal rights) · da fredløs (person without legal rights) · cmn 逃犯 (a fugitive from the law) · pt foragido (a fugitive from the law) · ru престу́пник (a fugitive from the law) · de Outlaw (a fugitive from the law) · ru разбо́йник (a fugitive from the law) · mi tangata hara (a fugitive from the law) · fi villihevonen (wild horse) · ro fugar (a fugitive from the law) · ja 逃亡犯 (a fugitive from the law) · de Gesetzloser (a fugitive from the law) · mk му́станг (wild horse) · de Verfemter (a fugitive from the law) · ru ди́кая ло́шадь (wild horse) · ru отве́рженный (person without legal rights)

outlaw en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ˈaʊt.lɔ/ (US)
• /ˈæɔt.loː/ (Australia)
• (Australia) audio
• /ˈaʊt.lɔː/ (UK)
• /ˈaʊt.lɑ/ (cot-caught-merger)

Etymology

From Middle English outlawe, outlagh, utlaȝe, from Old English ūtlaga (“outlaw”), borrowed from Old Norse útlagi (“outlaw, fugitive”), equivalent to out- + law. Cognate with Icelandic útlagi (“outlaw”).

Meanings

1. (transitive) To declare illegal.
2. (transitive) To place a ban upon.
   • And outlawing these AR-15s would not require confiscating them from people who already have them. Once you’ve made these weapons illegal, anyone found with one would be subject to arrest, since possession of these weapons would be a crime. I think it’s likely that you would see a lot of people opting to turn them in. 2022 June 5, Michael Fanone, “Opinion: Here’s the reason people tell me they want to buy an AR-15. And it’s simply ludicrous”, in CNN, archived from the original on 30 Aug 2023:
   • The legal change in England and Wales will outlaw selling, manufacturing, renting or importing zombie knives. 2016 August 15, “'Zombie knives' ban to come into force”, in BBC News, archived from the original on 30 Aug 2023:
3. (transitive) To make or declare (a person) an outlaw.
   • AB has now gone beyond her original stance against gays as teachers and is now advocating a federal law to outlaw gays, a law which would override state law in the 19 states which have consenting adults sex laws. 1978 February 11, Donald Cameron Scot, “Controversy and Boycott Must Continue”, in Gay Community News, volume 5, number 31, page 5:
   • Eirik and his people were outlawed at Thorsnes Thing. 1880, John Sephton, transl., The Saga of Erik the Red:
4. (transitive) To remove from legal jurisdiction or enforcement.
   • to outlaw a debt or claim
5. To deprive of legal force.
   • our English common law was outlawed in those parts. a. 1662 (date written), Thomas Fuller, The History of the Worthies of England, London: […] J[ohn] G[rismond,] W[illiam] L[eybourne] and W[illiam] G[odbid], published 1662, →OCLC:

Forms

Relateds

misdemeanorize · criminalize · felonize

Translations (17)

ang ūtlagian (to declare illegal) · es ilegalizar (to declare illegal) · de verbannen (to place a ban on) · cmn 宣告非法 (to declare illegal) · is útlægja (to declare illegal) · ru объявля́ть вне зако́на (to declare illegal) · bg обявявам извън закона (to declare illegal) · sv bannlysa (to place a ban on) · da banlyse (to place a ban on) · fi julistaa laittomaksi (to declare illegal) · ang ūtlagian (to place a ban on) · sv kriminalisera (to declare illegal) · bg острахирам (to place a ban on) · de ächten (to declare illegal) · is útlægja (to place a ban on) · da kriminalisere (to declare illegal) · fi kieltää (to declare illegal)