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unlawful

intermediateB2

/ʌnˈlɔːfəl/ · un-law-ful

Not allowed by law; illegal.

Meanings

adjectiveformal

Not allowed by law; illegal.

قانون کے ذریعہ ممنوع; غیر قانونی.

غیر قانونی

Ghair Qanooni

Synonyms

illegalillicitunlawfulغیر قانونیممنوعبے قاعدہ

Antonyms

lawfullegalpermissibleقانونیاجازت شدہمجاز

Common Collocations

  • unlawful behavior
  • unlawful actions
  • unlawful entry

Example Sentences

He was arrested for engaging in unlawful activities.

اسے غیر قانونی سرگرمیوں میں ملوث ہونے پر گرفتار کیا گیا۔

Usay ghair qanooni sargarmiyon mein mulavas honay par giraftar kiya gaya.

The contract was declared unlawful due to fraudulent activities.

معاہدہ دھوکے باز سرگرمیوں کی وجہ سے غیر قانونی قرار دیا گیا۔

Muaheda dhoke baz sargarmiyon ki wajah se ghair qanooni qarar diya gaya.

Unlawful access to the site could lead to severe penalties.

سائٹ تک غیر قانونی رسائی سخت سزاؤں کی طرف لے جا سکتی ہے۔

Site tak ghair qanooni rasai sakht sazaon ki taraf le ja sakti hai.

Easily Confused With

illegal:Both illegal and unlawful mean not allowed by law, but 'illegal' is more commonly used in everyday language.

Word Family

lawful
adjectiveقانونی
law
nounقانون
lawbreaker
nounقانون شکن

See Also

💡 Memory Tip

Remember 'unlawful' as 'not lawful', just add 'un' to 'lawful'.

Visualize a gavel striking down on something marked as 'unlawful'.

🗣️ Urdu Proverb

دھوکے کے پیچھے کوئی قانون نہیں ہوتا

Dhoke ke peeche koi qanoon nahin hota

There is no law behind deceit.

📖 Etymology

Origin: Old English "un- + lawful" — not lawful; not permitted by law

First known use: 14th century

The term 'unlawful' has been used in English since the medieval period, deriving from 'lawful' with the prefix 'un-', meaning 'not'. This reflects its continuous usage in legal and everyday discussions.