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.

Live Nation denied it was an illegal monopoly, saying that the states’ case exaggerated its market power and that artists determine ticket prices.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

Shares of Live Nation sank on Wednesday after a jury found that the Ticketmaster parent had acted as an illegal monopoly over the ticketing industry, according to reports.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 15, 2026

A spokesperson for HMP Addiewell said it took matters "extremely seriously" and that any prisoner found with illegal items is immediately reported to the relevant authorities.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

After reviewing data and some court records for ProPublica and FRONTLINE, Fishman said, “The numbers seem to indicate a pattern and practice of illegal arrests.”

From Salon • Apr. 15, 2026

Although not illegal, indulging in the so-called grandmaster draw—in which neither player strives to win but, rather, halves the point after a few inconsequential moves have been made—bordered on unprincipled behavior.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

Vocabulary lists containing illegal

List 3

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Fear and Loathing in Cleveland: Trump's RNC Acceptance Speech

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