ENGLISH
REFERENCE

unlawfully

adv. manner
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ənˈɫɔfəɫi// UK //ʌnlˈɔːfəli// un·law·ful·ly

adv. in a way that is against the law. You use this to describe actions that are illegal or not allowed by official rules.

adv. in a manner that contravenes established law or legal statutes. Often used in legal or formal contexts to describe prohibited actions.


SIMPLE

The company was accused of unlawfully sharing private data.

CONTEXTUAL

The court ruled that the evidence had been obtained unlawfully and could not be used during the trial.

COMPLEX

The investigation revealed that the former executive had unlawfully diverted millions of dollars into offshore accounts to avoid paying corporate taxes.

Antonyms
Origin

From unlawful + -ly or un- + lawfully.

Usage

Typically follows the verb it modifies or appears at the end of the clause.

Pitfall

He was unlawfully of the crime.He acted unlawfully.Unlawfully is an adverb and must modify a verb or action, not a person or state of being directly.

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