illegal

[ ih-lee-guhl ]

adjective

1. forbidden by law or statute.

   Synonyms: unlicensed, illicit, illegitimate, unlawful

2. contrary to or forbidden by official rules, regulations, etc.:

   The referee ruled that it was an illegal forward pass.

noun

1. Informal: Disparaging and Offensive. illegal alien.

illegal

/ ɪˈliːɡəl /

adjective

1. forbidden by law; unlawful; illicit
2. unauthorized or prohibited by a code of official or accepted rules

noun

1. a person who has entered or attempted to enter a country illegally

Sensitive Note

See illegal alien.

Derived Forms

• ˌilleˈgality, noun
• ilˈlegally, adverb

Other Words From

• il·legal·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of illegal¹

From the Medieval Latin word illēgālis, dating back to 1620–30. See il- ², legal

Synonym Study

Illegal, unlawful, illegitimate, illicit, criminal can all describe actions not in accord with law. Illegal refers most specifically to violations of statutes or, in organized athletics, codified rules: an illegal seizure of property; an illegal block ( in football ). Unlawful means not sanctioned by or according to law: an unlawful claim to the inheritance; to take unlawful advantage of the trading situation. Illegitimate means lacking legal or traditional right or rights: an illegitimate child; illegitimate use of privileged knowledge. Illicit, which originally meant simply “not permitted,” now most often applies to matters regulated by law with specific emphasis on the way things are carried out: illicit conversion of property; an illicit attempt to control the market. Criminal most often refers to violation of the statutes of penal as opposed to civil law. All felonies are criminal as are all crimes sometimes punishable by death such as murder, arson, and kidnapping: a criminal act.

Example Sentences

An illegal miner for about eight years, Ndumiso has managed to send his three children to fee-paying schools - one of whom is now in university.

From BBC

The procedure would have been highly illegal and dangerous if Holt had followed through with it, but at the last minute, she refused.

From Salon

It is illegal to sell semagultide without a prescription, but drugs can be bought privately, including at supermarkets, chemists and high-street clinics, with pens costing between £200 and £300.

From BBC

However, after Russia's illegal occupation of Crimea in 2014, Ukraine informed fellow signatories that its application of the treaty in the occupied areas would be is "limited and is not guaranteed".

From BBC

But it is not the same as illicit GHB - a dangerous and illegal drug misused for its euphoric effects.

From BBC

Related Words

• banned
• criminal
• illegitimate
• illicit
• irregular
• outlawed
• prohibited
• smuggled
• unauthorized
• unconstitutional
• unlawful
• unlicensed
• unwarranted
• wrongful