Meanings
comparative more unenforced · superlative most unenforced · alternative uninforced
- Not enforced.
Eight bills introduced in to Philadelphia City Council on Thursday would repeal laws that have become outdated and unenforced.
2017 September 21, “City Council Looks To Repeal Outdated, Unenforced Laws”, in CBS News2 more examples
As the introduction to a 2016 paper from the New York University School of Law explains: “Unenforced laws are deemed problematic because non-compliance may undermine the rule of law. […]
2022 September 13, “In Our View: An unenforced law is worse than no law at all”, in The ColumbianThe decision upended state and national politics in a key swing state and brought new attention to so-called zombie laws — long-unenforced statutes that remain on the books.
2024 April 23, Alicia Bannon, “Arizona Highlights Risk of “Zombie” Laws”, in State Court Report
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectivenot enforced; not compelled especially by legal or police action
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*né
- Proto-Indo-European*n̥-
- Proto-Germanic*un-
- Proto-West Germanic*un-
- Old Englishun-
- Middle Englishun-
- Englishun-
- Englishenforced
- Englishunenforced
Cite this entry
unenforced. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/unenforced
“unenforced.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/unenforced. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “unenforced,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/unenforced.
Source: unenforced on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.