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.

In Hollywood, a resident hired her housekeeper to help report illegal dumping of goods that are often used to construct more homeless encampments, leading to all sorts of problems.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 13, 2026

Executives or insiders also have to deal with Securities and Exchange Commission filing requirements for stock sales designed to prevent illegal insider trading.

From Barron's • Jun. 13, 2026

Edwige Hill, Deputy Director in HMRC's Fraud Investigation Service, said the two men "showed a blatant disregard for international sanctions, seeking to profit from the illegal supply of weapons".

From BBC • Jun. 11, 2026

The investors sued under the statute, saying that move was obviously illegal.

From Slate • Jun. 11, 2026

It was a Tory paper and he wasn’t supposed to have it; it was illegal, so he kept it hidden.

From "My Brother Sam is Dead" by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier

Vocabulary lists containing illegal

List 3

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