as in illegal
contrary to or forbidden by law
had a long history of using illicit drugs
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of illicit
No one mentioned the likely illicit origins of the gold NBE was buying.
—
Claire Wilmot & Gisa Tunbridge, The Dial, 12 June 2026
The store was run by Sam Yuen, head of one of Los Angeles’ tongs, which were secret societies made up of men from China who often dabbled in illicit activities.
—Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026
Analysts at the time cautioned that the boundaries of illicit behavior could be blurry.
—Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 10 June 2026
The phenomenon of illicit mining in Johannesburg and surrounding areas was one of the concerns that prompted the government in March to deploy the army to certain high-risk areas in a yearlong operation to stop violence linked to organized crime.
—ABC News, 9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for illicit
Claire Wilmot & Gisa Tunbridge, The Dial, 12 June 2026
The store was run by Sam Yuen, head of one of Los Angeles’ tongs, which were secret societies made up of men from China who often dabbled in illicit activities.
—Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026
Analysts at the time cautioned that the boundaries of illicit behavior could be blurry.
—Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 10 June 2026
The phenomenon of illicit mining in Johannesburg and surrounding areas was one of the concerns that prompted the government in March to deploy the army to certain high-risk areas in a yearlong operation to stop violence linked to organized crime.
—ABC News, 9 June 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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The filing, submitted in the San Diego County Superior Court, seeks a judge’s order to condemn and destroy the embargoed kratom products, halt ongoing unlawful manufacturing and impose civil penalties.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
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Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote in the court's opinion that unlawful drug use alone cannot be grounds to seek to send someone to prison and potentially force them to give up firearms for life.—
Devin Dwyer,
ABC News,
18 June 2026
Adjective
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The accusations against Burton have raised questions about his criminal background and the vetting process city officials use before hiring someone for Safe Streets.—
Emma Tucker,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
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The insecurity crisis is frustrating business owners, human rights defenders and regular Haitians who are forced to navigate a capital that is largely controlled by criminal gangs.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
14 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Illicit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illicit. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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