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Illicit and Elicit
Illicit, while not exactly an everyday word, is far more common than its antonym, licit ("not forbidden by law, permissible"). Perhaps this is a function of our oft-noted fascination with bad behavior and boredom with rectitude. In any case, illicit may be used of behavior that is either unlawful or immoral. These categories frequently overlap, but they are not always synonymous, as some unlawful activities (illicit cigarette smoking) may not be considered immoral, while some immoral activities (an illicit affair) are not illegal. Illicit is occasionally confused with elicit because of the similarity in their pronunciations, but the two words have decidedly different meanings and functions: in contemporary English, elicit is a verb meaning "to get (a response, information, etc.) from someone," while illicit appears solely as an adjective.
Synonyms
Examples of illicit in a Sentence
David Ansen, Newsweek, 4 Mar. 2002
"Thank you, Lieutenant," she said, bowing her head, just as she might in everyday, civilian life, and I felt suddenly illicit in her presence, as though we'd slipped out of sight of our chaperons …
—Chang-rae Lee, A Gesture Life, 1999
The companies that carry cellular … have adopted a number of monitoring techniques to detect illicit calls …
—Paul Wallich, Scientific American, March 1994
He was arrested for selling illicit copies of the software.
She had an illicit affair with her boss.
Emily Feng, NPR, 16 Apr. 2024
Federal prosecutors are reportedly investigating Meta for its role in the sale of illicit drugs on Facebook and Instagram, according to a Wall Street Journal report published last month.
—Samantha Murphy Kelly, CNN, 13 Apr. 2024
So far, the rerouting of cargo has not significantly impacted the ability of U.S. Customs and Border Protection to detect and interdict potentially illicit or high-risk materials, the document said.
—Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 12 Apr. 2024
While Operation Plaza Spike is focusing on transnational criminal organizations, law enforcement will continue to identify and interject U.S. citizens who smuggle illicit drugs, Miller said.
—Sarah Lapidus, The Arizona Republic, 10 Apr. 2024
There was a crackle of illicit energy from the big man.
—Kevin Barry, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
In states like New York, the gap between what’s legal and what’s enforced has allowed illicit stores to pop up among the legitimate ones.
—Jane C. Hu, The Atlantic, 8 Apr. 2024
Oregon was the only state to decriminalize illicit drug possession.
—Sara Chernikoff, USA TODAY, 6 Apr. 2024
Among other topics that Yellen plans to discuss with her Chinese counterparts include bilateral cooperation on countering illicit finance and working on global issues such as climate change and financial stability, according to the Treasury Department.
—Laura He, CNN, 5 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'illicit.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near illicit
Cite this Entry
“Illicit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/illicit. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Legal Definition
illicit
adjective
In re Haas, 48 F.3d 1153 (1995)
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