as in illegal
contrary to or forbidden by law
had a long history of using illicit drugs
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Recent Examples of illicit
The code would typically write data to illicit access cards in such a way that the cards failed security checks and became useless for piracy.
—
ArsTechnica, 22 May 2026
The illicit affair in the series even feels wooden and out of the blue, because the characters at its center don’t have any romantic chemistry.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 22 May 2026
This is a lovely, if rather decorous and reverent, tale of an illicit affair that’s unlikely to cause as much noise as Dhont’s last two films.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 22 May 2026
But these claims — and a legal filing the DOJ made in February to join a lawsuit accusing UCLA of illicit discrimination against white and Asian applicants — raise questions about its campaign against elite medical schools that the DOJ may not wish to answer.
—Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for illicit
ArsTechnica, 22 May 2026
The illicit affair in the series even feels wooden and out of the blue, because the characters at its center don’t have any romantic chemistry.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 22 May 2026
This is a lovely, if rather decorous and reverent, tale of an illicit affair that’s unlikely to cause as much noise as Dhont’s last two films.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 22 May 2026
But these claims — and a legal filing the DOJ made in February to join a lawsuit accusing UCLA of illicit discrimination against white and Asian applicants — raise questions about its campaign against elite medical schools that the DOJ may not wish to answer.
—Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for illicit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for illicit
Adjective
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Louisville police say anything that goes into the air or explodes is illegal for average citizens.—
James Bruggers,
The Courier-Journal,
5 July 2017
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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
Adjective
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Multiple lawsuits from advocacy groups, Capitol police officers and others call the program unlawful and corrupt, as Congress presses acting Atty.—
Michael Kunzelman,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
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Kelly's mother, Barbara Renner, is charged with manslaughter, and her daughter, Elyssa Seymore, is charged with unlawful imprisonment.—
Mahsa Saeidi,
CBS News,
28 May 2026
Adjective
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On the other side, De la Espriella has promised to fiercely crack down on criminal groups and build 10 megaprisons, following in a similar vein as El Salvador’s president, Nayib Bukele, in his war on gangs, which has been beset by abuses, according to findings by human rights groups.—
Megan Janetsky,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) previously said Roberts had a criminal history that included a narcotics possession offense.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Illicit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illicit. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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