Meanings
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1
noun
historical law: the formal placing of a person outside the law and its protection
The court's sentence of outlawry allowed the fugitive's property to be seized.
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2
noun
the condition or conduct of being an outlaw; lawlessness
Years of outlawry left the band unable to return openly to the town.
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3
noun
figurative: exclusion from accepted society or its protection
Her sudden disgrace produced a painful sense of social outlawry.
Thesaurus
Etymology
From Middle English outlawerie, influenced by Anglo-Norman utlagarie and Late Latin utlagaria; now understood as outlaw + -ry. Medieval outlawry withdrew the law's protection from a person who defied legal process, which encouraged broader senses of lawlessness and social exclusion.