I. ˈau̇tˌlȯ noun
Etymology: Middle English outlawe, outlage, from Old English ūtlaga, from Old Norse ūtlagi, from ūtlagr, adjective, outlawed, from ūt out + -lagr (from lag-, lög law) — more at out , law
1. : a person or thing excluded from the benefit of the law or deprived of its protection : a person against whom outlawry has been pronounced : a proscribed person or thing
a hunted outlaw
the motor vehicle becomes an outlaw on the highways if operated without new registration — Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles
2.
a. : a lawless person or a fugitive from the law : a person roving and committing acts of violence
gangs of outlaws made their hideaways in the inadequately policed Indian territory — C.L.Cannon
b. : a person or organization under a ban or disability
the union declared that those who had gone on strike against its orders were outlaws
3. : an animal (as a horse) that is wild and unmanageable
spoiled horses are outlaws — they never can be tamed — S.E.Fletcher
II. (ˈ) ̷ ̷| ̷ ̷ transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English outlawen, from Old English ūtlagian, from ūtlaga outlaw
1.
a. : to deprive of the benefit and protection of law : declare to be an outlaw
outlaw the rebels unless they surrendered immediately
b. : to make illegal
the type of legislation which outlawed dueling — Margaret Mead
has outlawed verbal intimidation on the part of employers — New Republic
a proposal to outlaw war
2. : to place under a ban or disability
it is neither possible nor convenient to outlaw the old vocabulary — A.G.N.Flew
banned in Boston, outlawed in Atlanta — Hamilton Basso
3. : to remove from legal jurisdiction or enforcement
outlaw a debt
outlaw a claim
the case was outlawed in 1914 by the Supreme Court under the statute of limitations — H.U.Faulkner
III. ˈ ̷ ̷ˌ ̷ ̷ adjective
Etymology: outlaw (I)
1. : of, relating to, composed of, or dominated by outlaws
an outlaw band
outlaw country
2.
a. : forbidden by law
an outlaw strike
b. : contrary to the rules of an organization
an outlaw baseball league
playing outlaw ball — Oscar Fraley