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.

Owning a Starlink terminal is illegal in Iran.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026

IRS officials who receive illegal requests to terminate audits must report them or face possible criminal prosecution, and experts warn that the agency's employees could now be at legal risk.

From BBC • May 21, 2026

Its registration process is "broken" and encouraging illegal children's homes to "thrive", according to one director of a provider of registered homes.

From BBC • May 20, 2026

With a massive increase in the supply of children's homes, it might be expected that costs of placements would fall for both registered and illegal children's homes.

From BBC • May 20, 2026

Swerving through traffic, honking his horn at red lights—which was illegal in Moscow—the driver pulled up to Moscow’s Radio Center building.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin

Vocabulary lists containing illegal

List 3

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