illicit

adjective

il·​lic·​it (ˌ)i(l)-ˈli-sət 

: not permitted : unlawful

illicit drugs

illicitly adverb

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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 of illicit

• illegal
• unlawful
• criminal

Examples of illicit in a Sentence

The wedding is mounted in traditional Punjabi style, but underneath the formal fanfare simmer dysfunctional-family tensions, deep dark secrets, … and illicit affairs. —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.

Recent Examples on the Web

As a result, the bill would leave parts of the crypto ecosystem vulnerable to exploitation by terrorists, sanctions evaders, fraudsters, and other illicit actors under the guise of technological neutrality. — Richard Nephew, Fortune, 2 July 2026

Though the film ends with Lori and John getting married (despite Ted's various illicit shenanigans), Ted 2 reveals that the pair have divorced. — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 1 July 2026

The chapters moved from crime rates to cheating teachers to drug dealers living with their mothers, linking unlikely variables with a kind of intellectual mischief that felt almost illicit. — Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026

Undercover recordings allegedly captured Owens detailing how public officials could be bribed and how the illicit funds could be laundered through businesses and campaign donations, the outlet reported. — Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 30 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin illicitus, from in- + licitus lawful — more at licit

First Known Use

1606, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for illicit

• complicit
• elicit
• explicit
• implicit
• solicit
• licit

Kids Definition

illicit

adjective

il·​lic·​it (ˈ)il-ˈ(l)is-ət 

: illegal

illicit drug traffic

illicitly adverb

Legal Definition

illicit

adjective

il·​lic·​it il-ˈli-sət 

: not permitted : unlawful

an illicit motive to defeat or evade the taxes

—In re Haas, 48 F.3d 1153 (1995)