Ulovligt

Ulovligt is a Danish adjective and adverb meaning illegal or forbidden by law. It is used to describe acts, substances, or situations that are prohibited under Danish statutes or regulations. The related noun is ulovlighed, referring to illegality. In Danish, ulovligt often functions as an adverbial modifier of an action, while the corresponding adjective is ulovlig, used to describe a noun (for example, ulovlig aktivitet).

Etymology: Ulovligt is formed from the prefix u- (not) and lov (law) with the suffix -ligt, yielding the sense of “not lawful.” The noun form ulovlighed and the adjective ulovlig share the same root. The language distinguishes between the adjective form (ulovlig) and the adverbial/adverb-like form (ulovligt), which can modify verbs or entire verb phrases (for example, “Det er ulovligt at køre uden kørekort” – “It is illegal to drive without a license”).

Usage and examples: Common collocations include ulovlige stoffer (illegal drugs), ulovlige våben (illegal weapons), and ulovlig indvandring (illegal immigration). The term appears in legal texts, news reporting, and everyday speech to classify conduct as unlawful. The legal consequences of what is described as ulovligt depend on the applicable statutes, such as the Danish penal code (straffeloven) and related regulations.

Context: While ulovligt is a Danish term, similar concepts exist in other languages with different words and forms. In Norwegian, the equivalent is often ulovlig, while Swedish uses olaglig for a similar meaning.

See also: Illegality, Illegal, Penal code, Danish language, Law.