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
Retailers are free to sell products as long as the label does not make false or misleading medical claims or contain unapproved or illicit drugs.
—
David Kroll, The Conversation, 17 Mar. 2026
Saint Joseph's Hospital personnel first noticed Wolken's illicit activity on July 1, 2024, according to a case document.
—Logan Smith, CBS News, 15 Mar. 2026
The exchange has defended its approach to any illicit transactions on its platform and argued that its compliance program worked as designed.
—Leo Schwartz, Fortune, 12 Mar. 2026
According to authorities, these illicit shipments are transported from Ecuadorian seaports to Central America, the United States and Europe, among other destinations.
—Gonzalo Solano, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for illicit
David Kroll, The Conversation, 17 Mar. 2026
Saint Joseph's Hospital personnel first noticed Wolken's illicit activity on July 1, 2024, according to a case document.
—Logan Smith, CBS News, 15 Mar. 2026
The exchange has defended its approach to any illicit transactions on its platform and argued that its compliance program worked as designed.
—Leo Schwartz, Fortune, 12 Mar. 2026
According to authorities, these illicit shipments are transported from Ecuadorian seaports to Central America, the United States and Europe, among other destinations.
—Gonzalo Solano, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for illicit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for illicit
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
Adjective
-
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Washington, seeks reinstatement and a court declaration that the terminations were unlawful.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
21 Mar. 2026
-
The acquisition would give Nexstar control of 228 broadcast stations reaching 80% of television households in 132 local markets and increase concentration in more than a dozen local markets by more than 10 times the amount that is presumptively unlawful under the antitrust laws.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
All told, Mueller brought criminal charges against six of the president's associates, including his campaign chairman and first national security adviser.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
22 Mar. 2026
-
The man accused of the attack, Lawrence Reed, had a lengthy criminal history.—
Talia Soglin,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Illicit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illicit. Accessed 26 Mar. 2026.
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