| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | against the law |
| Synonyms: | actionable, banned, bootleg, criminal, flagitious, forbidden, illegal, illegitimate, illicit, improper, iniquitous, lawless, nefarious, outlawed, prohibited, taboo, unauthorized, under-the-counter, unlicensed, wrongful |
| Antonyms: | authorized, lawful, legal, right |
| Main Entry: | bootleg |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | illegal |
| Synonyms: | black-market, bootlegged, contraband, illicit, pirated, smuggled, unauthorized, under-the-counter, unlawful, unofficial, unsanctioned |
| Antonyms: | legal |
| Main Entry: | criminal |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | lawless, felonious |
| Synonyms: | bent, caught, corrupt, crooked, culpable, deplorable, dirty, heavy, hung up, illegal, illegitimate, illicit, immoral, indictable, iniquitous, nefarious, off base, out of line, peccant, racket, scandalous, senseless, shady*, smoking gun, unlawful, unrighteous, vicious, villainous, wicked, wildcat, wrong |
| Antonyms: | correct, lawful, legal, moral, right, righteous |
| Main Entry: | crooked |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | evil, corrupt |
| Synonyms: | crafty, criminal, deceitful, devious, dishonest, dishonorable, double-dealing, dubious, fraudulent, illegal, indirect, iniquitous, lying, nefarious, questionable, ruthless, shady, shifty, suborned, treacherous, underhand, unlawful, unprincipled, unscrupulous, untruthful |
| Antonyms: | good, honest, law-abiding, lawful, moral |
| Main Entry: | illegal |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | against the law |
| Synonyms: | actionable, banned, black-market, bootleg, contraband, criminal, crooked, extralegal, felonious, forbidden, heavy*, hot*, illegitimate, illicit, interdicted, irregular, lawless, not approved, not legal, outlawed, outside the law, prohibited, proscribed, prosecutable, racket, shady, smuggled, sub rosa, taboo, unauthorized, unconstitutional, under the table, unlawful, unlicensed, unofficial, unwarrantable, unwarranted, verboten, violating, wildcat, wrongful |
| Notes: | a form of conduct will be illicit and a type of practice will be illegal |
| Antonyms: | allowed, authorized, ethical, good, lawful, legal, legitimate, moral, permissible, right |
| Main Entry: | illegitimate |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | not legal |
| Synonyms: | contraband, illegal, illicit, improper, invalid, misbegotten, spurious, supposititious, unauthorized, unconstitutional, unlawful, unsanctioned, wicked, wrong |
| Notes: | literally, illegitimate is 'not lawful' and illicit is 'not allowed' |
| Antonyms: | authorized, blessed, ethical, justifiable, legal, legitimate, moral, sanctioned, warranted |
| Main Entry: | illicit |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | not legal; forbidden |
| Synonyms: | adulterous, black-market, bootleg, clandestine, contraband, contrary to law, criminal, crooked, dirty*, felonious, furtive, guilty, heavy*, illegal, illegitimate, immoral, improper, in violation of law, lawless, out of line, prohibited, racket, unauthorized, unlawful, unlicensed, wrong, wrongful |
| Notes: | elicit means to call forth emotions, feelings, and responses or to bring out or draw out, while illicit means contrary to or forbidden by law - unlawful literally, illegitimate is 'not lawful' and illicit is 'not allowed' a form of conduct will be illicit and a type of practice will be illegal |
| Antonyms: | blessed, good, legal, legitimate, licit, moral, noble, proper, right |
| Main Entry: | misbegotten |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | illegitimate, illicit |
| Synonyms: | baseborn, bastard, dishonest, disreputable, illegal, natural, poor, shady, spurious, stolen, suppositious, unlawful, unrespectable |
| Antonyms: | lawful, legal, legitimate, licit |
| Main Entry: | off-limits |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | prohibited |
| Synonyms: | against the law, banned, barred, forbidden, illegal, illicit, no-no, not allowed, out of bounds, outlawed, restricted, taboo, unlawful, verboten |