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.

Up to 350 illegal migrants have been moved to the Crowborough military barracks in East Sussex.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

Turkey has strict gun laws that require licensing, registration, mental and criminal background checks, and severe penalties for illegal possession.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

Rubio, according to the State Department, “addressed efforts to deter mass illegal immigration, secure our borders and promote regional stability.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026

“Pathogen transmission is a consequence of general and diverse uses of wildlife by people. This includes illegal and legal trade.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

“Also, spearfishing is illegal there, in case you were wondering.”

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller

Vocabulary lists containing illegal

List 3

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