Meaning & use
scofflaw
Last updated
A person who habitually flouts the law, especially by ignoring minor regulations such as parking or traffic rules.
See it in a sentence
The city towed dozens of cars belonging to persistent scofflaws.
Tax scofflaws owe the state millions in unpaid fines.
A note on using this word
Coined in a 1924 American contest during Prohibition to name people who openly disregarded liquor laws; it stuck around long after Prohibition ended.
Words with a similar meaning
lawbreakeroffender
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
law-abider
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