outlaw
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outlaw¹
- /ˈaʊt.lɔː/ UK
- /ˈaʊt.lɔ/ US
- /ˈaʊt.lɑ/ cot caught merger
- /ˈæɔt.loː/ Australia
Rhymes with -aʊtlɔː
Where it comes from
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”).
noun outlaws
- 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. […]"
-
A criminal who is excluded from normal legal rights; one who can be killed at will without legal penalty.
Similar: bandit, wolf's head
- 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.
- A wild or violent animal, such as a horse.
- An in-law: a relative by marriage.
- One who would be an in-law except that the marriage-like relationship is unofficial.
- 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.
verb outlaws · outlawing · outlawed
- To declare illegal.
- To place a ban upon. The legal change in England and Wales will outlaw selling, manufacturing, renting or importing zombie knives.
- To make or declare (a person) an outlaw. Eirik and his people were outlawed at Thorsnes Thing.
- To remove from legal jurisdiction or enforcement. to outlaw a debt or claim
- To deprive of legal force. our English common law was outlawed in those parts.
Outlaw²
Where it comes from
From outlaw, a nickname for someone who no longer had the protection of the law.
proper noun Outlaws · Outler · Outley
- A surname transferred from the nickname. In the book, Nathan Outlaw offers helpful advice and tips on buying the freshest fish and shellfish in a sustainably responsible way.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: criminal, illegalize, felon, illegal, malefactor, criminalize, unlawful, illicit, illegitimate, lawless, crook, rebel, deny, disallow, banning, prohibit
Translations
Every language
noun a fugitive from the law
| Español | forajido |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 逃亡者 tōbōsha, 逃亡犯 tōbōhan, 逃走者 tōsōsha, 逃走犯 tōsōhan |
| 中文 | 逃犯 táofàn, 亡命徒 wángmìngtú |
| Português | fora de lei, fora da lei, foragido |
| Français | hors-la-loi |
| Deutsch | Verfemter, Outlaw, Gesetzloser |
| Italiano | fuorilegge |
| Ελληνικά | παράνομος paránomos, φυγάς fygás |
| Română | fugar |
| Русский | престу́пник prestúpnik, престу́пница prestúpnica, разбо́йник razbójnik, разбо́йница razbójnica |
| العربية | خَارِج الْقَانُون ḵārij al-qānūn |
noun person without legal rights
| Español | proscripto, proscrito |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | Ächtung |
| Română | persoană fără de lege |
| Русский | изго́й izgój, изгна́нник izgnánnik, изгна́нница izgnánnica, отве́рженный otvéržennyj, отве́рженная otvéržennaja |
noun wild horse
| 中文 | 野馬 /野马 yěmǎ |
|---|---|
| Ελληνικά | αγριάλογο agriálogo |
| Русский | ди́кая ло́шадь díkaja lóšadʹ |
verb to declare illegal
| Español | ilegalizar |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 宣告非法 xuāngào fēifǎ |
| Deutsch | ächten |
| Русский | объявля́ть вне зако́на obʺjavljátʹ vne zakóna |
verb to place a ban on
| Deutsch | verbannen |
|---|
Talk about this word "outlaw." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/outlaw. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. outlaw. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/outlaw "outlaw." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/outlaw.Cite this
@misc{outlaw_2026,
title = {outlaw},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/outlaw},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
