illegal
UK /ɪˈliːɡəl/ · US /ɪˈli.ɡəl/ adjective, noun
Forms illegaler illegalest illegals
- adjective Contrary to, forbidden, or not authorized by law, especially criminal law. “This is illegal, you know!”
- adjective Forbidden by established rules. “Moving a pawn backward is an illegal move in chess.”
- adjective (philately, of an issue printed for collectors) Totally fictitious, and often issued on behalf of a non-existent territory or country.
- adjective (of a person, sometimes offensive) Being or doing something illegally. “illegal immigrant”
- adjective (chiefly US, sometimes offensive) Being an illegal immigrant; residing in a country illegally.
- noun (obsolete) An illegal act or technique.
- noun (colloquial, in the plural, as illegals) Contraband, esp. illegal substances such as drugs.
- noun (espionage) A spy operating abroad illegally and under non-official cover, without visible ties to his or her country’s authorities.
Synonyms
criminal felonious illicit irregular crimeful illegitimate lawbreaking nonlawful outlawed unlawful wrongful banned disallowed forbidden impermissible interdicted nonallowed nonlicet prohibited proscribed
Antonyms
Etymology
Borrowed from French illégal, from Medieval Latin illegalis, from Latin legalis, by surface analysis, il- + legal. In senses relating to immigration, via clipping of illegal alien or illegal immigrant.
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Not according to, or authorized by, law; specif., contrary to, or in violation of, human law; unlawful; illicit; hence, immoral; as, an illegal act; illegal trade; illegal love. Bp. Burnet.
Etymology [Pref. il- not + legal: cf. F. illégal.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “illegal”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details