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Glite Dictionary
🚫 Breaking the law 🚫 Illegal
lawbreaking

lawbreaking

4.2
Not allowed by law
  • adjective
  • /ˈlɔːˌbreɪkɪŋ/
translation icon : ilegal
  • The rights of American citizens who love their country and obey the laws thereof are more sacred than the rights of any murderous, lawbreaking dago the Almighty has ever made or ever will make.

Examples

  • The lawbreaking practices of the company were exposed during the investigation.

  • All the more reason to commence investigations: they will expose and punish corrupt, lawbreaking elites from both parties.

    Blog text (15)

  • The police are cracking down on lawbreaking behavior in the neighborhood.

  • Many lawbreaking activities can lead to severe consequences, including fines and imprisonment.

Antonyms

legal
∞ 2.5

Relating to the law, lawyers, or what the law allows

lawful
  • Formal
82 2.9

Allowed by the law

How Illegal

felonious
  • Specialized
9 8.5
lawbreaking
4.2
questionable
176 3.9
legal
∞ 2.5

Surface Forms

lawbreaking positive

Morphology

lawbreaking = law + breaking (transparent) = law + break + ing

The compound clearly combines 'law' and 'breaking' (a noun/gerund) to mean violating the law, which learners can derive from the parts.

Etymology

Lawbreaking is made from law ('rules made by the government') and breaking from break ('to damage or not follow'). So lawbreaking as an adjective describes actions or people who are 'breaking the law' and are therefore illegal.