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.

Out in the street, a business consultant who recently voted for the left-wing populist Green Party, also worried about illegal migrants, as did a painter who was busy refurbishing Cain’s butcher’s shop.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 23, 2026

The illegal flows can be camouflaged amid the vast size of Binance, which has trillions of dollars in monthly transactions worldwide.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

Officials said the area around Bixby Bridge has become particularly busy, and in some cases dangerous, with an uptick in illegal roadside parking, and sometimes in active lanes of traffic.

From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026

District Judge April Perry excoriated prosecutors for using illegal tactics to get the criminal charges past a skeptical grand jury, dressing down U.S.

From Slate • May 22, 2026

“Also, spearfishing is illegal there, in case you were wondering.”

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller

Vocabulary lists containing illegal

List 3

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