Synonyms for illegal
ɪˈli gəlil·le·gal

WiktionaryRate these synonyms:1.0 / 2 votes

1. illegaladjective

   Contrary to or forbidden by law, especially criminal law.

   Synonyms:
   felonious, criminal, unlawful, illicit

   Antonyms:
   legal, lawful

2. illegaladjective

   Totally fictitious, and often issued on behalf of a non-existent territory or country.

   Synonyms:
   bogus

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. illegal

   Every criminal act is illegal or unlawful, but illegal or unlawful acts may not be criminal. Offenses against public law are criminal; offenses against private rights are merely illegal or unlawful. As a general rule, all acts punishable by fine or imprisonment or both, are criminal in view of the law. It is illegal for a man to trespass on another's land, but it is not criminal; the trespasser is liable to a civil suit for damages, but not to indictment, fine, or imprisonment. A felonious act is a criminal act of an aggravated kind, which is punishable by imprisonment in the penitentiary or by death. A flagitious crime is one that brings public odium. Vicious refers to the indulgence of evil appetites, habits, or passions; vicious acts are not necessarily criminal, or even illegal; we speak of a vicious horse. That which is iniquitous, i. e., contrary to equity, may sometimes be done under the forms of law. Ingratitude is sinful, hypocrisy is wicked, but neither is punishable by human law; hence, neither is criminal or illegal. Compare SIN.

   Synonyms:
   abominable, criminal, culpable, felonious, flagitious, guilty, immoral, iniquitous, nefarious, sinful, unlawful, vicious, vile, wicked, wrong

   Antonyms:
   innocent, just, lawful, legal, meritorious, moral, right, virtuous

Princeton's WordNetRate these antonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. illegaladjective

   prohibited by law or by official or accepted rules

   "an illegal chess move"

   Antonyms:
   juristic, legitimate, court-ordered, ratified, judicial, lawful, sub judice, legal, jural, licit, statutory, sanctioned

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:2.0 / 1 vote

1. illegaladjective

   Synonyms:
   unlawful, illicit, unlicensed

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. illegaladjective

   Synonyms:
   illicit, unlawful, contraband, unlicensed, illegitimate

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "illegal":

   illicit, unlawful, clandestine, illegitimate, illegally, irregular, wrongful, unlawfully, unauthorised, surreptitious, illegals, underground, brass, unlicensed, unauthorized, undeclared, back-street, iilegal, slush

NicknamesRate these nicknames:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of known nicknames for "Illegal":

   Kevin Choy

Suggested Resources

1. illegal

   Song lyrics by illegal -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by illegal on the Lyrics.com website.

2. Illegal

   Illegal vs. Illicit -- In this Grammar.com article you will learn the differences between the words Illegal and Illicit.

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How to use illegal in a sentence?

1. Richard Milhous Nixon:

   When the president does it, that means it is not illegal.

2. Deane Jordan:

   Chain letters are not illegal. What is illegal is to threaten lives in such letters or solicit money.

3. Claude Arnold:

   Defenders of sanctuary policies say they protect immigrants from deportation and reduce illegal immigrants ’ fear of cops. But critics, including Homeland Security Department officials say releasing illegal immigrant criminals inside the U.S. is dangerous. Claude Arnold, a retired U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations, said sanctuary advocates claim immigration enforcement is the exclusive responsibility of the federal government, however enacting laws like the California Trust Act, which dictates how the federal government can enforce the law, contradicts those claims and can be devastating consequences. The murder of 32-year-old Kathlene Steinle’s in June 2015 by Juan Francisco Lopez-Sanchez, an illegal immigrant from Mexico, is a prime example, Claude Arnold said. Steinle was shot dead while strolling on San Francisco’s Embarcadero with her father. The alleged shooter, a felon and five-time deportee, has pleaded not guilty to murder charges, claiming the shooting was an accident. Those responsible for releasing him not long before the shooting despite a federal request to detain him for deportation should also have consequences, Claude Arnold said. When sanctuary jurisdictions like San Francisco County release criminals that officials know are in the U.S. illegally, and those criminals commit heinous crimes, those responsible should be federally prosecuted.

4. Robert Orben:

   Illegal aliens have always been a problem in the United States. Ask any Indian.

5. Ross McEwing:

   To have a significant impact on the illegal wildlife trade, there is a need to identify and prosecute the leaders of organized crime syndicates, the kingpins, who are unlikely ever to come into contact with the ivory directly, therefore, it is possible that this technique, whilst increasing the number of prosecutions associated with the illegal ivory trade by identifying individuals involved in the handling of the ivory, might have negligible effect on the volume of the illegal trade: national and international couriers are dispensable and readily replaceable.