Phrase guide

law unto oneself

noun · 3 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

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈlɔː ˈʌntʊ ˌwʌnˈsɛlf/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /-ˈʌntuː-/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /-ˈʌntə-/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /ˈlɔ ˈʌntə ˌwʌnˈsɛlf/
  • General-American: /-ˈʌntʊ-/

1

noun

Meaning 1

One who is free from the constraints of law or rules.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

One who flouts the law or conventional wisdom; one who ignores rules or logic to behave according to his or her own standards.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

One who is lawful in the absence of an enforced law; one who behaves with integrity.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, dated, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Probably from Romans 2:14 in the King James Version of the Bible (see the quotation under sense 3 below), though the term has come to have the opposite meaning, as senses 1 and 2 indicate. Sense 3 is now largely limited to references to the Bible verse.

Across languages

Translations

5 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Czech: sám sobě zákonem — one who flouts the law or conventional wisdom
  • Czech: svévolník — one who flouts the law or conventional wisdom
  • French: justicier — one who flouts the law or conventional wisdom
  • Hungarian: a maga feje után megy — one who flouts the law or conventional wisdom
  • Esperanto: leĝo por si mem — one who is lawful in the absence of an enforced law