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.

The same satellites used to monitor illegal fishing and update Google Maps have found a new and deadly application.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026

Wildlife officers have busted an illegal cockroach-breeding operation in rural Australia, seizing a skin-crawling haul worth more than $100,000 on the black market for exotic bugs.

From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026

The illegal insects can spread disease and harm native wildlife and agriculture, they added.

From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026

Later that month, further concerns were raised after an illegal dumping ground, described as "an animal graveyard", was discovered just outside Augher near a newly built family home.

From BBC • Jun. 4, 2026

By 1787, when the Constitution was being drafted, most of the Northern states had already made the foreign slave trade illegal.

From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis

Vocabulary lists containing illegal

List 3

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