lawbreaker

[ law-brey-ker ]

noun

1. a person who breaks or violates the law.

   Synonyms: perpetrator, criminal, transgressor

lawbreaker

/ ˈlɔːˌbreɪkə /

noun

1. a person who breaks the law
2. informal.
   something that does not conform with legal standards or requirements

Derived Forms

• ˈlawˌbreaking, nounadjective

Other Words From

• law·break·ing noun adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of lawbreaker¹

before 1050; Middle English lawbreker; replacing Old English lahbreca. See law ¹, breaker ¹

Example Sentences

But he said he still prioritizes reducing the incarceration rate while also holding lawbreakers accountable and keeping crime low.

From Los Angeles Times

Newsom said he envisions a prison system that doesn’t just confine lawbreakers but better prepares them for reintegrating into communities after their release.

From Los Angeles Times

On Friday, Omar posted a message on social media saying that her daughter was not a lawbreaker, but a leader.

From Seattle Times

“One thing above all else will restore order to our streets,” he wrote at the time: “an overwhelming show of force to disperse, detain and ultimately deter lawbreakers.”

From New York Times

If stopping lawbreakers in their tracks means breaching an embassy, then so be it, Ecuadorians interviewed over the weekend told The Associated Press.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• blackmailer
• criminal
• crook
• culprit
• delinquent
• felon
• fugitive
• gangster
• hoodlum
• hooligan
• mobster
• offender
• racketeer
• scofflaw