contraband

[ kon-truh-band ]

noun

1. anything prohibited by law from being imported or exported.
2. goods imported or exported illegally.
3. illegal or prohibited trade; smuggling.
4. International Law. contraband of war.
5. (during the American Civil War) an enslaved Black person who escaped to or was brought within the Union lines.

adjective

1. prohibited from export or import.

contraband

/ ˈkɒntrəˌbænd /

noun

1. 1. goods that are prohibited by law from being exported or imported
   2. illegally imported or exported goods
2. illegal traffic in such goods; smuggling
3. Also calledcontraband of war international law goods that a neutral country may not supply to a belligerent
4. (during the American Civil War) a Black slave captured by the Union forces or one who escaped to the Union lines

adjective

1. of goods
   1. forbidden by law from being imported or exported
   2. illegally imported or exported

contraband

1. Goods illegally transported across borders to avoid the payment of taxes.

Derived Forms

• ˈcontraˌbandist, noun

Other Words From

• non·contra·band noun adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of contraband¹

First recorded in 1520–30; earlier contrabanda, from Spanish, from Italian contrabando (now contrabbando ), equivalent to contra “against” + Medieval Latin bandum, variant of bannum “edict”; contra ¹( def ), ban ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of contraband¹

C16: from Spanish contrabanda, from Italian contrabando (modern contrabbando ), from Medieval Latin contrabannum, from contra- + bannum ban, of Germanic origin

Example Sentences

In 2013, smugglers in São Paulo were all set to ship a huge cache of fossils out of the Santos Harbor, but before they could, local police swooped in and recovered the contraband.

From Popular-Science

I once tried to send a bracelet to my friend in a letter, but those items are considered “contraband” and are not allowed out.

From Washington Blade

These contraband networks — the smuggled molasses that played a role in the American Revolution — also worked as avenues for news.

From Washington Post

Ironically, the data indicates that, in many cases, those more likely to be targeted are less likely to have contraband or to have broken laws.

From Voice of San Diego

Then came a half-century where the bookstores and theaters had nothing but l’art de la femme, and old-­timers like you swapped drives full of contraband hip-hop and novels with the corners worn off.

From MIT Technology Review

Yazbek says no one takes names, and no one checks for weapons or other contraband.

From The Daily Beast

Prison guards in Lima found a contraband mobile phone in his prison cell that he claimed was given to him by the warden.

From The Daily Beast

He was convicted of perjury, served 30 days, and went back to a swashbuckling career in contraband.

From The Daily Beast

A CBP dog sniffs around for contraband like drugs, food, weapons, people.

From The Daily Beast

Of course, as Singer notes, “Smuggling things that are contraband at a prison is not a national security emergency.”

From The Daily Beast

So far as the right or wrong of having contraband whisky was concerned, I don't think any one gave it a second thought.

From Project Gutenberg

He accuses the latter of various illegal and crafty acts, among them sending contraband gold and jewels to Mexico.

From Project Gutenberg

The progress of the woollen manufactures of Ireland excited even more alarm and indignation than the contraband trade with France.

From Project Gutenberg

Ginger-beer could also be procured, and there were suspicions that the bottles so called contained something contraband.

From Project Gutenberg

Their merchants, especially in New England, carried on a brisk and extremely profitable contraband trade.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• piracy
• smuggling
• trafficking