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.

"Her actions were clearly illegal, wrong, and financially costly to Mesa County, and Colorado."

From BBC • May 16, 2026

Gray wolves are a federally protected endangered species and illegal to kill in California.

From Los Angeles Times • May 16, 2026

Unsavory, sure, and illegal to boot, but desperate times call for desperate actions.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026

A 2026 AGA analysis showed that unregulated gaming devices, offshore sportsbooks and illegal online casinos generate approximately $53.9 billion in revenue each year, depriving states of more than $15 billion in lost tax revenue.

From MarketWatch • May 15, 2026

At this point, I was also ignorant of our illegal immigration status and the sad fact that the government could kick my family and me out of the country, effectively ending any relationship I started.

From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi

Vocabulary lists containing illegal

List 3

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