as in illegal
contrary to or forbidden by law
had a long history of using illicit drugs
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of illicit
Two Sydney residents, men aged 21 and 25, were arrested at the property and charged with possessing a commercial quantity of an illicit drug.
—
ABC News,
21 June 2026
In many ways, the illicit market establishes the baseline against which every legal operator is measured.
—
Peter Su,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2026
Beyond the more familiar terrain of diabetics, IVF patients, people using hormone therapy, and intravenous users of illicit drugs, people have been turning themselves into lab rats for new wellness frontiers.
—
Matthew Sedacca,
Curbed,
16 June 2026
The store was run by Sam Yuen, head of one of Los Angeles’ tongs, which were secret societies made up of men from China who often dabbled in illicit activities.
—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for illicit
ABC News,
21 June 2026
In many ways, the illicit market establishes the baseline against which every legal operator is measured.
—
Peter Su,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2026
Beyond the more familiar terrain of diabetics, IVF patients, people using hormone therapy, and intravenous users of illicit drugs, people have been turning themselves into lab rats for new wellness frontiers.
—
Matthew Sedacca,
Curbed,
16 June 2026
The store was run by Sam Yuen, head of one of Los Angeles’ tongs, which were secret societies made up of men from China who often dabbled in illicit activities.
—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for illicit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for illicit
Adjective
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Louisville police say anything that goes into the air or explodes is illegal for average citizens.
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Official fireworks shows took place over the city, and illegal pyrotechnics lit up the sky everywhere in between.
Adjective
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Nadi Jabari, 46, was charged with false personation, unlawful use of a blue light and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said in a news release.
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The indictment, handed up by a federal grand jury in Maryland, charged Bolton with eight counts of unlawful transmission of national defense information as well as 10 counts of unlawful retention of national defense information.
Adjective
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Hill later pleaded guilty to criminal charges connected to the case, though she has never been charged with jury tampering.
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But this safeguard falls short — especially given new civil and criminal penalties for election officials that are tucked into this bill.
Cite this Entry
“Illicit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illicit. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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