noun / adjective
outlaw
OUT-law/ˈaʊtlˌɔ/
A person living outside the law or accepted authority.
The outlaw flees with stolen jewelry as an officer gives chase.
Etymology
The elements mean “outside the law,” from a Scandinavian formation such as Old Norse útlagi. Originally someone deprived of the law’s protection, an outlaw later meant someone living in defiance of the law.
In context
Caught between the law and the lawless, he walked out of jail and went back to the life he knew best. He set up a gang and became an outlaw.
More examples
- Several outlaws hid beyond the town.
- The novel follows an outlaw gang.
- He lived as an outlaw after escaping custody.
Forms
outlaw · outlaws
Similar words
- criminal
- Criminal need not suggest life beyond the law's protection.
- fugitive
- Fugitive emphasizes fleeing capture rather than a general status outside the law.