1
as in unlawful
contrary to or forbidden by law
it is illegal to import those birds into this country
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
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Recent Examples of illegal
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for illegal
Adjective
-
On Friday, two federal judges ruled that this pause is likely unlawful.—
Jennifer Ludden,
NPR,
3 Nov. 2025
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He is being charged in juvenile court with evidence tampering and unlawful gun possession by a minor.—
Kirsten Fiscus,
Nashville Tennessean,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
SulfurSolve aims to play a central role in transforming a deadly, foul-smelling fuel into usable resources.—
Sixteen Ramos,
USA Today,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Guerrero ended the top of the fourth inning with a diving catch into foul territory, repeating Daulton Varsho’s defensive brilliance from moments before.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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There have been several serious incidents involving the illicit trade in nuclear materials in Georgia over recent decades.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
25 Oct. 2025
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Both developments could hand fresh ammunition to the Democrats who Republicans need to advance the bill — Democrats who had already raised concerns in closed-door meetings Wednesday over illicit finance and conflicts of interest.—
Eleanor Mueller,
semafor.com,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Some of his artists have challenged their contracts as unfair, sparking broader debates about industry practices.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
2 Nov. 2025
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Both also often lead to litigation in federal court and the filing of unfair labor practices charges with the NLRB.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Since attacks like SessionReaper can expose your personal data to criminal marketplaces, consider using a reputable data removal service that continuously scans and deletes your private information, such as your address, phone number and email, from data broker sites.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
2 Nov. 2025
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In a case involving 19 criminal counts, Farzam was convicted of five misdemeanors in 2003.—
Ray Sanchez,
CNN Money,
2 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The discrepancy has divided voters, stirred up nasty social media exchanges and even inspired an 18-year-old Lakota grad to throw his hat in the district's school board race.—
Grace Tucker,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
29 Oct. 2025
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And any school or school district that does try to discriminate, that man right there will probably first send you a nasty gram and then drop the hammer.—
Kimberlee Speakman,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Illegal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illegal. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
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