against the law
against the law — idiom
1. Describes an action or situation that is not allowed by the legal system of a co
Describes an action or situation that is not allowed by the legal system of a country or region — for example, stealing from a shop, driving without a valid license, or selling alcohol to a child.
Smoking inside restaurants is against the law in many American states.
noun phrase + is + against the law
Lien's father explained that taking money from someone else's bag is against the law.
In Japan, it is against the law to drive after drinking any alcohol at all.
The judge ruled that the company's hiring practices were against the law.
Selling cigarettes to children under eighteen is against the law in most countries.
- illegal
The most direct synonym; can also be placed before a noun, e.g. 'an illegal activity'
- unlawful
More formal, often found in legal documents and official statements
- prohibited
Suggests something is formally banned by a rule, law, or authority
文法句型
be + against the law
it + be + against the law + to-infinitive
用法筆記
Always follows a form of the verb "be" (is, are, was, were). The phrase cannot be placed before a noun as an adjective — compare: "That action is against the law" ✅ vs. "an against-the-law action" ❌.