unlawfulness

plural unlawfulnesses

1. uncountableThe state of being unlawful.

   Near-synonyms: criminality, feloniousness, illicitness

   2 more examples

   They plead against the inconvenience, not the unlawfulness, […] of ceremonies in burial.

   [1594], Richard Hooker, edited by J[ohn] S[penser], Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie, […], London: […] Iohn Windet, […], →OCLC, (please specify the page)

   After all, Cave speaks about orders being so manifestly illegal that the person carrying them out must or ought to have been aware of their unlawfulness. From this alone, one can draw the conclusion that, if the executant of the order actually knows of its unlawfulness, he ought to be convicted, no matter whether the order is or, as in John Doe's case, is not manifestly illegal.

   2012, Yoram Dinstein, The Defence of 'Obedience to Superior Orders' in International Law

   Synonyms: lawlessness, unlaw, illegality, illegalness, illegality, illegalness, lawlessness, unlaw · Antonyms: lawfulness, legality, legalness, law, rule of law, lawfulness, legality, legalness

2. countableAn unlawful act.

   Near-synonyms: offense; outrage

   Synonyms: unlaw, crime, criminal offence, criminality, delinquency, malefaction, perpetration, unlaw