illegal

[ih-lee-guhl] / ɪˈli gəl /

ADJECTIVE

against the law

Synonyms

STRONGEST

banned criminal illegitimate illicit irregular outlawed prohibited smuggled unauthorized unconstitutional unlawful unlicensed unwarranted wrongful

WEAK

actionable black-market bootleg contraband crooked extralegal felonious forbidden heavy hot interdicted lawless not approved not legal outside the law proscribed prosecutable racket shady sub-rosa taboo under-the-table unofficial unwarrantable verboten violating wildcat

Antonyms

STRONGEST

authorized blessed ethical good justifiable lawful legal legitimate moral permitted right warranted

WEAK

allowed permissible

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Other powerful Sánchez allies include the illegal gold-mining interests that threaten the property rights of lawful mining companies, an important engine of growth for Peru.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 31, 2026

Work to clean up one of Europe's largest illegal landfill sites could start in 2028 and take up to five years to complete, Northern Ireland's environment minister has said.

From BBC • May 29, 2026

"This puts us on equal footing" with illegal groups, said Andres Julian Salamanca, 37, an electrical engineer who helped develop the system.

From Barron's • May 29, 2026

The former mayor of Arcadia pleaded guilty Friday to acting as an illegal agent of China.

From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2026

Since the Espionage Act made it illegal to disclose the details of their work to the public, they fumed in silence while Hoover strutted around like a hero.

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield

Vocabulary lists containing illegal

List 3

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