Unlawful means against the law or not permitted by law. When something is unlawful, it violates rules that a government has established for everyone to follow.

If a driver parks in a space reserved for people with disabilities without having the proper permit, that's unlawful parking. If someone takes property that doesn't belong to them, that's unlawful taking. Unlawful actions break specific laws or regulations, whether local ordinances, state laws, or federal statutes.

The word is closely related to illegal, and they're often used interchangeably, though unlawful has a slightly more formal tone. You might hear it in news reports about an unlawful assembly (when a gathering violates laws about public meetings) or in court cases where judges determine whether someone's actions were lawful or unlawful.

What makes an action unlawful changes depending on where you are and what laws apply. Riding a bicycle on the sidewalk might be unlawful in one city but perfectly legal in another. This is why understanding the specific laws in your community matters: what's permitted in one place might be unlawful somewhere else.