What does outlawed mean?
Outlawed means that something has been made illegal or prohibited by law, or that someone has been formally placed outside legal protection. The word is especially common in references to organizations, armed groups, political movements, and practices that governments or other authorities have prohibited. It can imply more than ordinary illegality: an outlawed organization may have been officially declared criminal, while an outlawed person may be considered a fugitive or beyond the protection of the law. In everyday use, the term is sometimes used figuratively to describe anything strongly disapproved of, although that usage can sound exaggerated. The standard form is “outlawed,” and it is derived from the older noun and verb “outlaw,” meaning a person outside the law or to make someone an outlaw.
Made illegal or forbidden by law; officially prohibited.
"The regulator outlawed several misleading advertising practices."
Commonly used with organizations, groups, activities, and practices. It can imply an official declaration rather than merely an activity that happens to be illegal.
To make a person, organization, or activity illegal or subject to formal exclusion from legal protection.
"The new law outlawed the manufacture of the harmful substance."
This is the past tense and past participle of “outlaw,” in addition to the third-person singular form “outlaws.”
A person can be outlawed by a state, while an entire organization can be outlawed as a legal status rather than merely suspected of wrongdoing.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does outlawed come from?
The word “outlaw” comes from Old English ūtlag, formed from ūt, meaning “out” or “outside,” and lag, meaning “law.” In the Middle English period, it referred to a person who had been placed outside the protection of the law. The verb “outlaw” developed from the same source, and “outlawed” is the adjective and past-tense form. Related words include “lawless,” “lawful,” and “lawgiver,” all of which share the element “law” from Old English lagu.
Related word forms
How outlawed is actually used
The adjective is commonly used for organizations, groups, practices, and activities. It can sound more formal or dramatic than simply “illegal,” especially when referring to a declared or official prohibition.
Easily confused with outlawed
Illegal describes an act or practice that violates the law, whereas outlawed describes something officially prohibited or denied legal status.