illegal

adjective

(ˌ)i(l)-ˈlē-gəl How to pronounce illegal (audio)
Definition of illegalnext
1
as in unlawful
contrary to or forbidden by law it is illegal to import those birds into this country

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in foul
not being in accordance with the rules or standards of what is fair in sport an illegal pass

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for illegal
  1. unlawful
  2. foul
  3. illicit
  4. unfair
  5. criminal
  6. nasty
Adjective
  • The complaint seeks a declaration that DeWine’s executive order is unlawful.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Paporakis faces one felony count of making a terrorist threat and one felony count of unlawful possession of a weapon.
    — Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of unlawful
Adjective
  • The bodies of Machado and her daughters were discovered days later after a neighbor noticed a foul odor coming from the home.
    — CBS Miami Team, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Caminero pulled Smith’s first-pitch splitter off the left-field foul pole for a two-run homer that gave the Rays a 5-1 lead.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of foul
Adjective
  • From December 2024 to May 2025, the international law enforcement body Interpol conducted Operation Pangea XVII, in which authorities in 90 countries seized more than 50 million doses of illicit pharmaceuticals.
    — Andrew Yockey, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Participants were also asked about their alcohol consumption, smoking and illicit drug use.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of illicit
Adjective
  • Some also called for a reform of the university admissions system, seen by many as complex and unfair.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Trump has imposed new tariffs on Brazilian goods this year, including a 25% levy on some products over what the US described as unfair trade practices.
    — Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of unfair
Adjective
  • Homeland Security Investigations agents also interviewed Adawag last week, according to the criminal complaint filed against her.
    — Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Martin Zummach, an attorney who represents the officer who fired the shot that killed Kohen, says the attorney general's findings cleared his client of criminal wrongdoing.
    — SOPHIE BATES, Arkansas Online, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of criminal
Adjective
  • The polls still show a close-range contest, but in the increasingly nasty ad war, the spending suggests a far more lopsided fight.
    — Philip Elliott, Time, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Officers then cuffed the youngster as he was loaded into an ambulance and hospitalized for a fractured femur and a nasty bruise on his head, according to the lawsuit, which was filed by the teen’s dad, Mahmoud Saleh, in Brooklyn Federal Court.
    — John Annese, New York Daily News, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of nasty
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.

Browse Nearby Words

ill-bred
illegal
illegalities
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Cite this Entry

“Illegal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illegal. Accessed 25 Oct. 2026.

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