Definition

1. Noun:
   • The state or condition of being an outlaw; being placed outside the protection of the law: Historically, "outlawry" refers to the legal process of declaring someone an outlaw, stripping them of all legal rights and protections. Anyone could harm or kill them without legal penalty.
   • Defiance of the law; lawlessness: In a broader, often figurative sense, "outlawry" can describe a state of open disregard or contempt for the law and legal authority.

Usage and Examples

• Noun (Historical/Legal Condition):
  • In medieval England, outlawry was a severe punishment, effectively making the person a target.
  • The knight faced outlawry for his crimes against the crown.
• Noun (Defiance/Lawlessness):
  • The frontier town was known for its general outlawry and lack of sheriff's control.
  • The regime's actions were a brazen outlawry of international treaties.

Advanced Usage

• "A state of outlawry": This phrase emphasizes the condition of being outside the law.
  • The rebel leader lived in a state of outlawry, constantly evading capture.
• Used in legal and historical discussions to describe a specific, formal punishment, distinct from simply being a criminal.

Variants and Related Words

• Outlaw (n/v): (Noun) A person declared an outlaw or living outside the law. (Verb) To declare someone an outlaw; to make illegal.
  • The famous outlaw was finally captured.
  • The government moved to outlaw the dangerous substance.
• Outlawed (adj): Made illegal; prohibited by law.
  • The practice is now outlawed in most countries.

Synonyms

• Banishment: Forced expulsion, often from a country or community. (Shares the idea of exclusion but not necessarily from legal protection).
• Proscription: The action of forbidding something; condemnation or outlawry. (A close synonym in the historical/legal sense).
• Lawlessness: A state where laws are not obeyed or enforced. (Synonym for the broader sense of defiance).

Related Phrases and Idioms

• "To be placed/put outside the law": A phrase describing the act of outlawry.
  • For his treason, he was placed outside the law.
• "Fugitive from justice": While not identical, an outlaw is often a fugitive, but with the added historical dimension of having no legal rights.

Noun

1. illegality as a consequence of unlawful acts; defiance of the law