illegal alien

[ih-lee-guhl eyl-yuhn, ey-lee-uhn] / ɪˈli gəl ˈeɪl yən, ˈeɪ li ən /

NOUN

(offensive) foreigner in country without permission

Synonyms

WEAK

day-crosser illegal immigrant undocumented immigrant

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.

“Lilo & Stitch” centers on the friendship forged between Lilo, an orphaned young Hawaiian girl being raised by her older sister, and Stitch, an aggressive and destructive illegal alien experiment who escapes to Earth.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 26, 2025

In a plea for help on Facebook, he said that his daughter was denied entry into Canada due to "an incorrect visa" and was refused re-entry and classified as an "illegal alien" by U.S.

From Salon • Mar. 14, 2025

“We would not use the term illegal alien when speaking of these individuals, we would use the term noncitizen. And that speaks to the importance of respecting the dignity of the individual,” Mr. Mayorkas said.

From Washington Times • Jul. 20, 2023

He denied charges of disrupting government business and official functions and being an illegal alien in possession of a gun.

From BBC • Jul. 30, 2016

Alito questions Clement about a hypothetical U.S. citizen, pulled over by police for driving 10 miles over the speed limit and suspected of being an illegal alien.

From Slate • Apr. 26, 2012