scofflaw
C1formal, journalistic, sometimes humorous
Definition
Meaning
A person who habitually flouts or ignores the law, especially minor regulations.
A contemptuous term for someone who openly disobeys rules, laws, or social conventions, often showing a lack of respect for authority. Can also refer to someone who evades paying fines or taxes.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The term inherently carries a pejorative judgement. It suggests not just a one-off violation but a persistent, often brazen, attitude of disobedience. Originally coined for a specific context (Prohibition-era drinkers), it has broadened to describe any persistent law-breaker, particularly of petty laws.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The word is understood in both varieties but originated in and is slightly more frequent in American English due to its historical context.
Connotations
Similar in both: strongly negative, implying arrogance and social disregard. In the US, it may retain a faint historical echo of Prohibition.
Frequency
Low-frequency in both, but marginally more common in American news/media when describing municipal violations (e.g., parking, littering).
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[be] a scofflaw[label/declare/brand] someone a scofflaw[crack down on/target] scofflawsVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “No common idioms are directly formed from this word.”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare. Possibly used in compliance contexts, e.g., 'The firm was treated as a regulatory scofflaw.'
Academic
Rare, except in historical or socio-legal studies discussing civil disobedience or Prohibition.
Everyday
Uncommon. Might be used in news reports or in formal complaints about persistent minor offences.
Technical
Used in legal and municipal administrative contexts to categorise repeat offenders of local ordinances.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- No common verb use.
American English
- No common verb use.
adverb
British English
- No common adverb use.
American English
- No common adverb use.
adjective
British English
- The council published a list of scofflaw tenants.
- His scofflaw attitude finally caught up with him.
American English
- The city impounded cars owned by scofflaw drivers.
- She had a scofflaw approach to parking regulations.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The police are looking for the scofflaw who didn't pay his parking tickets.
- After accumulating over fifty unpaid fines, he was publicly named as the city's most notorious parking scofflaw.
- Local authorities launched a campaign to crack down on scofflaw landlords who ignore safety codes.
- The journalist's investigation revealed a culture of scofflaw impunity among certain diplomatic personnel, who accrued thousands in congestion charge penalties with no consequence.
- His reputation as a regulatory scofflaw made it difficult for the firm to secure licenses abroad.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: Someone who SCOFFS at (mocks/disregards) the LAW.
Conceptual Metaphor
LAW IS AN AUTHORITY FIGURE / RULES ARE BOUNDARIES. A scofflaw metaphorically 'turns their nose up' at authority and 'steps over' boundaries with impunity.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Не переводить буквально как "закон-насмешка".
- Ближайшие концептуальные аналоги: "злостный правонарушитель", "нарушитель (закона/правил)", но с оттенком презрительного пренебрежения.
Common Mistakes
- Confusing it with 'scaffold'.
- Using it for a serious, one-off criminal (it implies habitual, often petty, violation).
- Misspelling as 'scofflaw' or 'scaflaw'.
- Incorrect stress placement (stress is on first syllable: SCOFF-law).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following best describes a 'scofflaw'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It was coined in 1924 during American Prohibition. A wealthy prohibitionist offered a prize for a new word to describe someone who illegally drank alcohol. 'Scofflaw' won, blending 'scoff' (to mock) and 'law'.
No, quite the opposite. It's most commonly used for persistent violators of minor laws and regulations, like parking rules, littering, or not paying fines. It conveys contempt for the pettiness of the offences as much as for the law itself.
Yes, figuratively. In journalism or regulatory contexts, a business that repeatedly and flagrantly violates rules (e.g., environmental, labour) may be labelled a 'corporate scofflaw' or 'regulatory scofflaw'.
A 'criminal' is a broad term for anyone who commits a crime. A 'scofflaw' is a specific type of offender whose behaviour is characterised by habitual, open disregard for (often minor) laws, suggesting an attitude of defiance rather than mere law-breaking.