ill-gotten

adjective

ill-got·​ten ˈil-ˈgä-tᵊn 

: acquired by illicit or improper means

ill-gotten gains

Examples of ill-gotten in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The goal was ill-gotten, as the officials missed Perfetti tripping Mason McTavish, a play that led directly to the scoring sequence. — Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 28 Feb. 2026

The colonial appetite for firewood was decimating Pennsylvania’s forests—many of them ill-gotten from the Lenape, as Franklin knew but never acknowledged. — Dan Piepenbring, Harper's Magazine, 19 Feb. 2025

Amy closes a big business deal — selling her company Koyohaus to Jordan Forster (Maria Bello), the owner of a big-box store chain — and Danny finds the resources, though ill-gotten, to reenergize his construction company. — Erin Qualey, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1552, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for ill-gotten

• begotten
• forgotten
• guncotton
• antiproton
• gotten
• rotten

Kids Definition

ill-gotten

adjective

ill-got·​ten

-ˈgät-ᵊn

: to get by unlawful or improper means

ill-gotten wealth