outlaw

B1 Topic:Law & Government

US /ˈaʊt.lɔ/ UK /ˈaʊt.lɔː/ See IPA manual

Freq #11240

Meanings

1

noun
A criminal, especially one who is on the run from the law.

In old Western films, outlaws often robbed trains.
2

verb
To make something illegal by law.

The government plans to outlaw the sale of these knives.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a criminal, especially one... fugitive

2 verb · to make something illegal... ban prohibit

Word family

Forms outlawedoutlawingoutlaws

Derived forms outlawdomoutlawishoutlawismoutlawnessoutlawry

Related forms criminalizefelonizemisdemeanorizescofflaw

Common collocations

notorious outlaw Adjective + noun

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”).

outlawe Middle English ūtlaga Old English útlagi Old Norse

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Law & Government Crime & Justice

External links

# outlaw

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** noun, verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈaʊt.lɔ/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈaʊt.lɔː/
**Frequency rank:** 11240

## Meanings
1. A criminal, especially one who is on the run from the law.
2. To make something illegal by law.

## Examples
- In old Western films, outlaws often robbed trains.
- The government plans to outlaw the sale of these knives.

## Derived Forms
- outlawdom
- outlawish
- outlawism
- outlawness
- outlawry

## Related Forms
- criminalize
- felonize
- misdemeanorize
- scofflaw

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: outlawe
- Root: ūtlaga
- Root: útlagi

## 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”).

## AI Etymology
Outlaw comes 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”). Modern senses include a criminal, especially one who is on the run from the law and to make something illegal by law. The wider word family includes derivatives such as outlawdom, outlawish, outlawism, outlawness, and outlawry and related forms such as criminalize, felonize, misdemeanorize, and scofflaw.

## Topics
- Law & Government
- Crime & Justice

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