rechtswidrig
unlawful
Something that violates applicable law or a law and is therefore illegal. The term is often used in a legal context.
EXAMPLE
Das Gericht erklärte die Kündigung für rechtswidrig.
The court declared the dismissal unlawful.
rechtswidrig
unlawful
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Meanings
Usage tips
Compound word
The word is made up of 'Recht' (law/right) and 'widrig' (contrary to). 'Widrig' means 'against' or 'contrary to', so 'rechtswidrig' (unlawful) literally means 'against the law'.
EXAMPLE
Sein Handeln war eindeutig rechtswidrig.
His actions were clearly unlawful.
Sentence structure with 'für'
A very typical construction is 'etwas für rechtswidrig erklären' (to declare something unlawful). The thing being judged is in the accusative.
EXAMPLE
Das Gericht hat die Entscheidung für rechtswidrig erklärt.
The court declared the decision unlawful.
Typical combinations
'Rechtswidrig' (unlawful) often describes legal or official processes. Common combinations are 'rechtswidrige Handlung' (unlawful act), 'rechtswidriger Zustand' (unlawful situation), or 'rechtswidriger Beschluss' (unlawful resolution/decision).
EXAMPLE
Gegen den rechtswidrigen Bescheid kann man Einspruch erheben.
You can file an objection against the unlawful notice.
Register
This word belongs to formal language and is used especially often in legal, administrative, and political contexts.
EXAMPLE
In dem Gutachten wird die Maßnahme als rechtswidrig eingestuft.
In the expert opinion, the measure is classified as unlawful.
Compare with
rechtswidrig vs illegal
illegal
Illegal and rechtswidrig both refer to a violation of applicable law. Illegal is common in everyday language, while rechtswidrig sounds precise, especially in legal texts. The choice therefore depends mainly on the linguistic context.
rechtswidrig
Im Urteil bezeichnet das Gericht den verbotenen Verkauf als rechtswidrig.
In its ruling, the court calls the prohibited sale unlawful.
illegal
Im Gespräch bezeichnet Lea den verbotenen Verkauf als illegal.
In conversation, Lea calls the prohibited sale illegal.
In real life
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