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Glite Dictionary
extralegally

extralegally

9.4
In a way that is outside the law
  • adverb
  • /ˌɛkstrəˈlɛɡəli/
  • Formal
translation icon : extralegalmente
  • Many people in the region live extralegally, avoiding government regulations.

Examples

  • The organization operated extralegally, bypassing legal restrictions to achieve its goals.

  • Some businesses choose to function extralegally to escape heavy taxation.

  • Traditional ways of living and interacting with the world are challenged legally and, as frequently, extralegally through violence.

    Academic text (2005)

Synonyms

impermissibly
vsextralegally
  • Formal
1 8.1

In a way that rules or the law do not allow

implies acting beyond legal limits rather than merely breaking a rule
ultra vires
vsextralegally
  • Formal
1 9.9

Beyond the legal power of a person or organization to act

is broader and covers any action outside the law's limits
extrajudicially
vsextralegally
  • Formal
9.9

Happens without using the courts or the normal legal process

focuses on being outside the law itself rather than only procedures

Antonyms

legally
421 2.8

In a way that the law allows

Surface Forms

extralegally positive

Morphology

extralegally = extralegal (transparent) = extra + legal + ly

Formed by adding the adverbial suffix '-ly' to 'extralegal'; the step from extralegal to an adverb is regular and predictable.

Etymology

Extralegally breaks into extra- ('outside' or 'beyond') and legal ('law'), so it means doing something 'outside' the law, like stepping beyond the official rules to act on your own.