outlaw
Declare something prohibited
An outlaw is someone who operates outside the law—originally a person stripped of legal protection who could be killed without consequence, now simply a criminal or fugitive.
The word carries romantic overtones from Western mythology: outlaws like Jesse James became folk heroes.
As a verb, to outlaw something is to ban it: The treaty outlawed chemical weapons.
As an adjective, outlaw describes things operating illegally or unconventionally: an outlaw country singer, an outlaw motorcycle gang.
Armed roadside thief
- fugitiveOne fleeing authorities
- desperadoBold, reckless outlaw
- felonSerious crime perpetrator
- gangsterCriminal organization member
robber · thief · highwayman · mobster · smuggler · rustler · racketeer · brigand
Deserter of a cause
- insurgentOne who revolts
- revolutionarySeeking fundamental systemic change
- dissidentOpposer of established systems
- guerrillaIrregular armed fighter
resistance · mutineer · defector · subversive · anarchist · militant · insurrectionist · vigilante
Banishment from homeland
- pariahRejected, shunned person
- fugitiveOne fleeing authorities
- banishedForced to leave permanently
- ostracizedExcluded from a group
blacklisted · hunted · renegade · displaced · disenfranchised · underground
Edge of settlement
- gunslingerExpert pistol fighter
- sheriffCounty's chief officer
- posseArmed group pursuing fugitives
- saloonDrinking establishment, often frontier
stagecoach · holdup · rustler · cowboy · revolver · duel · hideout · tombstone
Official restriction on something
- forbidDeclare not allowed
- criminalizeMake punishable by law
- prohibitFormally disallow
- proscribeOfficially forbid something
illegalize · embargo · suppress · censor · blacklist · veto · interdict · sanction
Morally ambiguous main character
- scoundrelDishonest, unscrupulous person
- rascalLovable troublemaker
- tricksterCunning deceiver in myth
- swashbucklerDaring, flamboyant swordsman
knave · rapscallion · maverick · charmer · adventurer · lovable · cunning · daring
bandit
Armed roadside thief
gangster · robber · thief · highwayman · mobster · smuggler · rustler · racketeer · brigand · marauder
renegade
Deserter of a cause
- insurgentOne who revolts
- revolutionarySeeking fundamental systemic change
- dissidentOpposer of established systems
guerrilla · resistance · mutineer · defector · subversive · anarchist · militant · insurrectionist · vigilante · separatist
exile
Banishment from homeland
ostracized · blacklisted · hunted · renegade · displaced · disenfranchised · underground
frontier
Edge of settlement
- gunslingerExpert pistol fighter
- sheriffCounty's chief officer
- posseArmed group pursuing fugitives
saloon · stagecoach · holdup · rustler · cowboy · revolver · duel · hideout · tombstone · lawless
ban
Official restriction on something
- forbidDeclare not allowed
- criminalizeMake punishable by law
- prohibitFormally disallow
proscribe · illegalize · embargo · suppress · censor · blacklist · veto · interdict · sanction · contraband
antihero
Morally ambiguous main character
swashbuckler · knave · rapscallion · maverick · charmer · adventurer · lovable · cunning · daring · roguish
- Old Westcowboy, cowboys, cowgirl, sheriff, sheriffs
- Westernscowboys, western, sheriffs, western novels, saloons
- Wild Westcowboy, howdy, sheriff, giddyup, lawmen
- gunslingersgunslinger, gunfighter, gunman, quickdraw, fast draw
- Outlawsbandit, desperado, highwayman, robber, rustler
- prohibitionsban, forbid, prohibition, forbidden, prohibit
outlawlegalize
Make officially permitted
permit · allow · authorize · sanction · legitimize
- outlaw biker
- outlaw band
- legendary outlawMythologized criminal figure
- old west outlaw
- outlaw gangCriminal group evading law
- outlaw countryRebellious country music subgenre