outlaw
UK[ˈaʊt.lɔː]US[ˈaʊt.lɑː]
n
a person who has broken the law and who lives separately from the other parts of society because they want to escape legal punishment
v
to make something illegal or unacceptable
Morpheme Breakdown
out
law
out
law
Etymology
the word 'outlaw' is a compound formed from two old english elements: 'ūt' (out) and 'lagu' (law). its literal meaning, 'outside the law', originated in anglo-saxon legal tradition. to be declared an outlaw was a severe punishment, meaning the person was placed beyond the protection of the law—anyone could harm or kill them without legal consequence. over time, this specific legal status evolved into the modern noun for a fugitive criminal and the verb meaning to prohibit something by law.
Analysis
Structure: out + law
out (old english) - a preposition/adverb meaning 'outside, beyond, away from'.
law (old english) - a noun meaning 'a rule established by authority or custom'.
Examples
the old western film featured a notorious outlaw who robbed stagecoaches.
many countries have outlawed the use of certain harmful pesticides.
in medieval times, being declared an outlaw was often a death sentence.