Lawbreaking is the act of violating a law or rule that society has established. When someone commits lawbreaking, they're doing something that the government has decided is prohibited, whether it's speeding on the highway, stealing, or breaking more serious laws.

Not all lawbreaking is equally serious. Running a red light when no one else is around is lawbreaking, but so is robbing a bank. Society treats these very differently because the harm they cause is different. Minor lawbreaking might result in a warning or a small fine, while serious lawbreaking can lead to arrest and imprisonment.

The word can describe the action itself or be used as an adjective: a lawbreaking driver, a lawbreaking company. People also use the phrase law-abiding to describe the opposite: someone who follows the rules consistently.