What does lawbreaker mean?
A lawbreaker is a person who breaks the law. The term is broad enough to include someone convicted of a serious crime, as well as a person caught violating a minor regulation, such as a traffic rule. In everyday use, it often carries a strongly negative or disapproving tone, although the severity of the judgment can vary with context. “Criminal” tends to focus more specifically on conduct that constitutes a crime, while “offender” can also refer to someone violating rules outside the law. The word is especially common in reporting, legal discussion, educational material, and discussions of public safety. Together with its contrasting partner “lawmaker,” it also forms a memorable contrast: one creates legal rules, while the other violates them.
nounA person who violates the law or knowingly acts in a way that breaks a legal rule.
- A person who violates the law.
"The court ordered the company to compensate the communities harmed by its lawbreaker employees."
"Traffic cameras helped identify the lawbreaker who had been speeding through the village."
"The novel examines what happens when a desperate lawbreaker refuses to accept the consequences of her actions."
The regular plural is used when referring to more than one person who violates the law.
"Local officials warned that several lawbreakers had been targeting unattended vehicles."
A lawbreaker breaks the rules; a lawmaker makes them.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does lawbreaker come from?
The word is a compound of “law” and “breaker,” with “breaker” meaning a person who breaks something. “Law” descends from Old English “lagu,” while “break” has Germanic roots and developed into the agent noun “breaker.” The combined form has been in English use since the early modern period.
Related word forms
How lawbreaker is actually used
The term is generally neutral to negative and is used in journalism, legal contexts, education, and everyday speech. It may refer to either a serious offender or someone guilty of a minor breach.
Easily confused with lawbreaker
A criminal is someone who commits a crime, especially an act prohibited by criminal law, whereas a lawbreaker more broadly denotes anyone who violates a law.
A lawbreaker violates existing laws, while a lawmaker creates or changes them.