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.

People smugglers are directing migrants to pay for illegal Channel crossings using a network of UK-registered businesses, a BBC investigation has found.

From BBC • May 18, 2026

It documents 55,018 illegal evictions, 38,876 illegal rent increases, 32,015 complaints about a reduction of services and 24,179 harassment cases.

From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2026

Unsavory, sure, and illegal to boot, but desperate times call for desperate actions.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026

A 2026 AGA analysis showed that unregulated gaming devices, offshore sportsbooks and illegal online casinos generate approximately $53.9 billion in revenue each year, depriving states of more than $15 billion in lost tax revenue.

From MarketWatch • May 15, 2026

Christopher had argued very hard and loud to be left alone, but his father said it was probably illegal.

From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell

Vocabulary lists containing illegal

List 3

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