Scofflaw

Pronunciation: /ˈskɔflɔ/

Definitions of scofflaw

noun a person who flouts the law, especially by failing to comply with a law that is difficult to enforce effectively

Example Sentences

A1 A scofflaw is someone who ignores traffic laws.

A2 The city has increased fines to catch scofflaws who don't pay parking tickets.

B1 The company hired a private investigator to track down the scofflaw who stole company funds.

B2 Despite being labeled a scofflaw, he continued to evade taxes and cheat the system.

C1 The notorious scofflaw was finally apprehended after years of eluding authorities.

C2 The wealthy scofflaw used his connections to escape prosecution for his white-collar crimes.

Examples of scofflaw in a Sentence

formal The city council passed a new ordinance to crack down on scofflaws who ignore parking regulations.

informal Don't be a scofflaw and park in the no parking zone.

slang The scofflaw got caught speeding on the highway.

figurative He was known as the office scofflaw for always bending the rules.

Grammatical Forms of scofflaw

• past tense: scofflawed
• plural: scofflaws
• comparative: more scofflaw
• superlative: most scofflaw
• present tense: scofflaws
• future tense: will scofflaw
• perfect tense: have scofflawed
• continuous tense: is scofflawing
• singular: scofflaw
• positive degree: scofflaw
• infinitive: to scofflaw
• gerund: scofflawing
• participle: scofflawed

Origin and Evolution of scofflaw

First Known Use: 1924 year

Language of Origin: English

Story behind the word: The word 'scofflaw' was coined during the Prohibition era in the United States.

Evolution of the word: Originally used to describe individuals who flouted the laws against drinking alcohol during Prohibition, the term 'scofflaw' has evolved to refer to anyone who disregards or mocks the law in general.