outlaw

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A person who has broken the law and is hiding from the police, especially in a historical or Wild West setting.

   Grammar: Countable; can be used before another noun, as in 'outlaw gang'.

   Patterns

   • a wanted outlaw
   • an outlaw gang
   • the outlaw was caught

   The sheriff chased the outlaw across the desert for three days.

   In the movie, a group of outlaws robs a train and then splits up.

   The outlaw was finally captured near the border.

2. 2verbtransitive

   To officially make something illegal or forbidden.

   Grammar: Takes an object: outlaw a practice. Often used in the passive: 'The drug was outlawed.'

   Patterns

   • outlaw something
   • be outlawed

   The government decided to outlaw single-use plastics in coastal areas.

   Many countries have outlawed the sale of certain weapons.

   The practice was outlawed after a long public campaign.

Word forms

Common combinations

outlaw a practice

The new law outlaws the practice of charging hidden fees.

be outlawed by law

The substance was outlawed by law in the 1980s.

a notorious outlaw

He was a notorious outlaw who robbed banks across the state.

outlaw gang

The outlaw gang hid in the mountains for months.

Synonyms and how they differ

criminal

A general word for anyone who commits a crime; 'outlaw' suggests someone outside legal protection, often on the run.

fugitive

Focuses on someone running from the police; 'outlaw' can also suggest a historical or romanticized figure.

ban

As a verb, 'ban' is more common in everyday speech; 'outlaw' sounds more official or historical.

Opposites

Word family

outlawed adjective

Made illegal by an official rule or law.

outlawry noun

The state of being an outlaw or the act of making something illegal (rare).

Commonly confused: outlaw or in-law?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “outlaw”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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