Definitions

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.

There is an estimated $175 billion on the line in collected tariffs that are now deemed illegal.

From Barron's

Trade lawyers everywhere are thrilled by the complex lawsuits that will get under way as companies seek redress for illegal tariffs.

From The Wall Street Journal

Many people probably don’t know it’s illegal for a moving company to increase its price so significantly, and therefore they don’t push back when they get charged more.

From MarketWatch

Saeed Habiba, the head of Iran’s Student Affairs Organization, said universities won’t tolerate what he called obscenities and illegal acts and that some students have been summoned and charged with unspecified offenses.

From The Wall Street Journal

What was viewed as merely eccentric in 1956, when Gavin Maxwell brought an otter back from the Tigris marshes, would now be seen as unethical, not to mention illegal.

From The Wall Street Journal

illegal

Example Sentences

Related Words