a unlawful

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a unlawful" is not correct in written English. It should be "an unlawful" because "unlawful" begins with a vowel sound. Example: "He was charged with an unlawful act." Alternative expressions include "an illegal" and "a prohibited."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Wiki

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

"You are up against a unlawful police state that has everything in its hands — security apparatuses, executive power, everything," Mr. Aswany added.

The New York Times

Gold Fields, which is listed in Johannesburg, said 12,000 miners have been on a "unlawful and unprotected" strike at the KDC mine near Johannesburg since Wednesday.

The Guardian - Business

We want soldiers, when they go into a village in a strange country, when they are hurt or even understandably vengeful, or when they receive a unlawful or dishonorable order, to remember who they are; and yet, until today, that's precisely what we've been asking too many of them to forget.

The New Yorker

Didn't they realize that fucking dudes in their 20s was a) unlawful and b) creepy as fuck?

Vice

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

52 human-written examples

He was captured and allegedly tortured in order to force him to confess to being a an "unlawful enemy combatant".

Huffington Post

Police arrived and arrested Daniel, then charged him with possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, unlawful possession of a weapon, making terroristic threats, and aggravated assault.

Vice

Beginning at least in the early 19th century, England defined conspiracy as a combination "either to do an unlawful act or a lawful act by unlawful means".

Encyclopedia Britannica

That Thai law-enforcement officials had a hand in an unlawful abduction is, sadly, no great surprise.

The Economist

Mr. Monserrate's lawyers said his ouster was an unlawful coup, a choice of words the judge said he found to be "an ironic twist".

The New York Times

The court said the trial judge could hear the government's evidence that a detainee was an unlawful combatant.

The New York Times

A "trespasser" is an unlawful intruder.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Verify the legality of the context before using this phrase; if the act is merely against specific rules rather than the law, consider using "unauthorized" or "impermissible".

Common error

Writers often mistakenly use "a" before 'unlawful' because they see the letter 'u' and assume it can take either article, similar to 'a university' (where 'u' sounds like a consonant /j/). However, in 'unlawful', the 'u' is a pure vowel sound, making "a unlawful" universally incorrect in formal writing.

How to use

Learn how to use "a unlawful" with practical examples and tips.

How to use

Linguistic Context

In linguistic terms, "a unlawful" acts as an indefinite article followed by an adjective. However, according to Ludwig AI and standard English grammar, this specific combination is a mistake because the indefinite article 'a' should only precede words beginning with a consonant sound. In the phrase "a unlawful", the article fails to match the vowel sound of the adjective.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

75%

Wiki

15%

Science

5%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

3%

Formal & Business

1%

Reference

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "a unlawful" appears in reputable sources like The New Yorker and The New York Times, it is recognized by Ludwig AI as a grammatical error. The correct form is always "an unlawful" because the word 'unlawful' begins with a vowel sound. Writers should be vigilant about the phonetic rule (sound-based) rather than the orthographic rule (letter-based) when choosing articles. For a more polished and professional tone, always opt for an unlawful or synonyms like "an illegal" to ensure your writing adheres to standard English conventions.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

an unlawful

Corrects the grammatical error by using the appropriate indefinite article for a word starting with a vowel sound.

an illegal

Uses a more direct synonym that is widely interchangeable in legal and general contexts.

a prohibited

Suggests a specific type of illegality where an action is explicitly forbidden by law or regulation.

a wrongful

Focuses on the aspect of being contrary to justice or law, often used in civil litigation contexts.

an illicit

Carries a nuance of being forbidden by law, rules or custom, often with a slightly more formal tone.

an illegitimate

Refers to something not authorized by the law or not in accordance with accepted standards.

a criminal

Specifies that the unlawful act is a crime punishable by the state.

an unauthorized

Indicates that the action lacks legal or official permission, which may fall under the category of being unlawful.

a lawless

Describes a situation or act characterized by a total lack of legal restraint or order.

a noncompliant

Focuses on the failure to follow specific rules or standards rather than general illegality.

FAQs

Is it correct to say "a unlawful" or "an unlawful"?

It is grammatically correct to say "an unlawful". The choice between 'a' and 'an' depends on the sound of the next word. Since 'unlawful' starts with a vowel sound, 'an' is the correct choice.

Why do some news sources use "a unlawful"?

When you see "a unlawful" in news sources like The New York Times or The Guardian, it is usually a typo or a verbatim quote from a speaker. Standard editorial guidelines require "an unlawful".

What is a better way to phrase "a unlawful act"?

You should use "an unlawful act" or alternatively "an illegal act" for better flow and grammatical accuracy.

Does "a unlawful" change meaning in legal contexts?

No, the meaning remains the same, but the grammar remains incorrect. In legal writing, precision is key, so using "an unlawful" or "a wrongful" is necessary to maintain professional credibility.