sometimes disparaging + offensive
: a person who enters or lives in a country without the documentation required for legal entry or residence
Examples of illegal in a Sentence
Adjective
In this state, it is illegal for anyone under the age of 21 to drink alcohol.
The team was penalized for an illegal play.
Recent Examples on the Web
James Bruggers, The Courier-Journal, 5 July 2017
Official fireworks shows took place over the city, and illegal pyrotechnics lit up the sky everywhere in between.
—Lisa Beebe, Los Angeles Magazine, 5 July 2017
Facebook has been scrutinized for its handling of its users’ data, and social networks face fines in Germany for failing to swiftly take down hate speech and illegal content.
—Amie Tsang, New York Times, 4 July 2017
In the 1950s and 1960s, major city hospitals in the United States admitted as many as 20 to 30 women a day for complications from illegal or self-induced abortions.
—Cindy Crabb, Teen Vogue, 1 July 2017
Will Ferrell and Amy Poehler as a stuck-in-a-rut suburban couple who open an illegal casino to pay for their daughter's college tuition.
—Owen Gleiberman, chicagotribune.com, 30 June 2017
They are charged with illegal re-entry into the United States after previous deportation or removal, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Robert O. Posey and U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement Special Agent in Charge Ray Parmer.
—Carol Robinson, AL.com, 30 June 2017
Trump later walked back these comments, sort of, saying that instead, doctors should be punished for providing abortions if the procedure were made illegal.
—Michael Sebastian, Cosmopolitan, 29 June 2017
A Helsinki district court on Wednesday ordered the assets of Uber's Finnish country manager be confiscated until police conclude an investigation into whether the U.S. ride-hailing firm operates an illegal taxi service in Finland.
—Reuters, Fortune, 28 June 2017
George Jahn, The Seattle Times, 24 June 2017
Still, undercover illegals have been discovered in the United States as recently as June 2010, when 10 alleged spies were arrested by the FBI in Boston, New York, New Jersey and Arlington, Va.
—Harrison Smith, Washington Post, 21 June 2017
Marco stood today, standing on this stage Marco supports legalization and citizenship for 12 million illegals.
—New York Times, 15 Jan. 2016
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Adjective
Louisville police say anything that goes into the air or explodes is illegal for average citizens.
—James Bruggers, The Courier-Journal, 5 July 2017
Official fireworks shows took place over the city, and illegal pyrotechnics lit up the sky everywhere in between.
—Lisa Beebe, Los Angeles Magazine, 5 July 2017
Facebook has been scrutinized for its handling of its users’ data, and social networks face fines in Germany for failing to swiftly take down hate speech and illegal content.
—Amie Tsang, New York Times, 4 July 2017
In the 1950s and 1960s, major city hospitals in the United States admitted as many as 20 to 30 women a day for complications from illegal or self-induced abortions.
—Cindy Crabb, Teen Vogue, 1 July 2017
Will Ferrell and Amy Poehler as a stuck-in-a-rut suburban couple who open an illegal casino to pay for their daughter's college tuition.
—Owen Gleiberman, chicagotribune.com, 30 June 2017
They are charged with illegal re-entry into the United States after previous deportation or removal, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Robert O. Posey and U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement Special Agent in Charge Ray Parmer.
—Carol Robinson, AL.com, 30 June 2017
Trump later walked back these comments, sort of, saying that instead, doctors should be punished for providing abortions if the procedure were made illegal.
—Michael Sebastian, Cosmopolitan, 29 June 2017
A Helsinki district court on Wednesday ordered the assets of Uber's Finnish country manager be confiscated until police conclude an investigation into whether the U.S. ride-hailing firm operates an illegal taxi service in Finland.
—Reuters, Fortune, 28 June 2017
Noun
And beyond stripping illegals of Austrian citizenship, Interior Minister Wolfgang Sobotka of the centrist People’s Party is proposing hefty fines and other punitive measures.
—George Jahn, The Seattle Times, 24 June 2017
Still, undercover illegals have been discovered in the United States as recently as June 2010, when 10 alleged spies were arrested by the FBI in Boston, New York, New Jersey and Arlington, Va.
—Harrison Smith, Washington Post, 21 June 2017
Marco stood today, standing on this stage Marco supports legalization and citizenship for 12 million illegals.
—New York Times, 15 Jan. 2016
Cite this Entry
“Illegal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/illegal. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
illegal
adjective
il·le·gal
il-ˈlē-gəl 
illegally
adverb
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share