Standard Lemma guide

extralegal

adj · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • CMU ARPABET: EH2 K S T R AH0 L IY1 G AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Occurring outside the law; not governed by law; lawless.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adjective satellite

Meaning 2

not regulated or sanctioned by law

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • there were only extralegal recourses for their grievances

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: nonlegal

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h1éǵh Proto-Indo-European *-s Proto-Indo-European *h1éǵhs Proto-Indo-European *-teros Proto-Indo-European *h1eǵhsteros Proto-Italic *eksteros Latin exter Latin extrā English extra- Proto-Indo-European *leǵ-der.? Proto-Indo-European *legh-der.? Proto-Italic *lēks Latin lex Proto-Indo-European *h2el-der.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālis Latin lēgālislbor. English legal English extralegal From extra- + legal.

Across languages

Translations

7 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 法外 (fǎwài) — occurring outside the law
  • Finnish: laiton — occurring outside the law
  • French: extralégal — occurring outside the law
  • German: extralegal — occurring outside the law
  • German: rechtsfrei — occurring outside the law
  • Greek: έκνομος (éknomos) — occurring outside the law
  • Spanish: extralegal — occurring outside the law