Illicit, while not exactly an everyday word, is far more common than its antonym, licit ("not forbidden by law, permissible"). Perhaps this is a function of our oft-noted fascination with bad behavior and boredom with rectitude. In any case, illicit may be used of behavior that is either unlawful or immoral. These categories frequently overlap, but they are not always synonymous, as some unlawful activities (illicit cigarette smoking) may not be considered immoral, while some immoral activities (an illicit affair) are not illegal. Illicit is occasionally confused with elicit because of the similarity in their pronunciations, but the two words have decidedly different meanings and functions: in contemporary English, elicit is a verb meaning "to get (a response, information, etc.) from someone," while illicit appears solely as an adjective.
The wedding is mounted in traditional Punjabi style, but underneath the formal fanfare simmer dysfunctional-family tensions, deep dark secrets, … and illicit affairs.—David Ansen, Newsweek, 4 Mar. 2002"Thank you, Lieutenant," she said, bowing her head, just as she might in everyday, civilian life, and I felt suddenly illicit in her presence, as though we'd slipped out of sight of our chaperons …—Chang-rae Lee, A Gesture Life, 1999The companies that carry cellular … have adopted a number of monitoring techniques to detect illicit calls …—Paul Wallich, Scientific American, March 1994
He was arrested for selling illicit copies of the software.
She had an illicit affair with her boss.
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What emerges isn’t just kickbacks — but the outlines of a prostitution ring allegedly funded with illicit money.—Gina Montaner, Miami Herald, 1 July 2025 In two new indictments, the U.S. Department of Justice alleges millions in illicit earnings by remote work impersonators.—Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 1 July 2025 Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Aug. 8, 2014 Hackers used phishing emails and other illicit entry attempts to deploy malware to the agency over the past three years, according to an inspector general report.—Jean Marbella, Baltimore Sun, 27 June 2025 Fortunately, English talked to many of the people who were there, publishing underground newspapers and smuggling in illicit literature.—Valorie Castellanos Clark, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for illicit
Word History
Etymology
Latin illicitus, from in- + licitus lawful — more at licit
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