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outlaw

/ˈaʊt.lɔ/noun, verb

outlaw is spelled O-U-T-L-A-W: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 3.2 times per million words in written English, the 14,731st most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, outlaw means “A fugitive from the law” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of outlaw is outlaws.

How many letters and syllables are in outlaw?

Letters6: O-U-T-L-A-W
Syllables2 (from its American pronunciation)
In writing3.2 times per million words; the 14,731st most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search

Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How common is outlaw?

Outlaw appears 3.2 times per million words in written English, the 14,731st most frequent word form in the list.

Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How do you pronounce outlaw?

  • UK /ˈaʊt.lɔː/
  • US /ˈaʊt.lɔ/
  • /ˈaʊt.lɑ/

Outlaw has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-au-outlaw.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

Forms of outlaw

  • outlaws plural, present, singular, he/she/it
  • outlawing participle, present
  • outlawed participle, past

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does outlaw mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

noun

  1. 1

    A fugitive from the law.

  2. 2

    A criminal who is excluded from normal legal rights; one who can be killed at will without legal penalty.

  3. 3

    A person who operates outside established norms.

    The main character in the play was a bit of an outlaw who refused to shake hands or say thank you.

  4. 4

    A wild or violent animal, such as a horse.

  5. 5

    An in-law: a relative by marriage.

  6. 6

    One who would be an in-law except that the marriage-like relationship is unofficial.

  7. 7

    slangA prostitute who works alone, without a pimp.

verb

  1. 1

    To declare illegal.

  2. 2

    To place a ban upon.

  3. 3

    To make or declare (a person) an outlaw.

  4. 4

    To remove from legal jurisdiction or enforcement.

    to outlaw a debt or claim

  5. 5

    To deprive of legal force.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Outlaw in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchhors-la-loi (a fugitive from the law)
GermanVerfemter, Outlaw, Gesetzloser (a fugitive from the law), Ächtung (person without legal rights), ächten (to declare illegal), verbannen (to place a ban on)
Portuguesefora de lei, fora da lei, foragido (a fugitive from the law)
Spanishforajido (a fugitive from the law), proscripto, proscrito (person without legal rights), ilegalizar (to declare illegal)

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.

Where does outlaw come from?

From Middle English outlawe, outlagh, utlaȝe, from Old English ūtlaga (“outlaw”), borrowed from Old Norse útlagi (“outlaw, fugitive”), equivalent to out- + law. Cognate with Icelandic útlagi (“outlaw”).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What to look up after outlaw