illicit

[ih-lis-it] / ɪˈlɪs ɪt /

ADJECTIVE

not legal; forbidden

Synonyms

STRONGEST

adulterous bootleg clandestine contraband furtive illegal illegitimate immoral improper prohibited unauthorized unlawful unlicensed wrongful

WEAK

black-market contrary to law criminal crooked dirty felonious guilty heavy in violation of law lawless out of line racket wrong

Antonyms

STRONGEST

aboveboard allowed authorized chaste ethical forthright good lawful legal legitimate moral open permitted pure right truthful uncorrupt

WEAK

blessed licit noble proper

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 bags are usually $1.49 or 99 cents, which feels almost illicit in this economy.

From Salon • May 22, 2026

For Cage, it’s a combination of its visual aesthetic and the moral ambiguity of the mysteries and illicit affairs in film noir that have made the genre endure among cinephiles.

From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2026

Beijing's embassy in Colombo said illicit activity in Sri Lanka had risen following enforcement actions in Cambodia, Myanmar as well as the United Arab Emirates.

From Barron's • May 17, 2026

A good framework would name it and the illicit enrichment site at Isfahan announced by Iran in June.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026

She slid the phone back into her pocket and took a deep breath, trying to rearrange her facial features into a not guilty of snooping or any other illicit activity expression.

From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon

Vocabulary lists containing illicit

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This Week in Words: September 1 - 7, 2018

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Brave New World

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