illegal en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- (Southern-England) audio
- [ɪɫˈli.ɡəɫ] (US)
- /ɪˈli.ɡəl/ (US)
- /ɪˈliːɡəl/ (UK)
- ĭ.lē'gəl (US)
Etymology
Borrowed from French illégal, from Medieval Latin illegalis, from Latin legalis, by surface analysis, il- + legal. In senses relating to immigration, via clipping of illegal alien or illegal immigrant.
Meanings
-
Contrary to, forbidden, or not authorized by law, especially criminal law.
In all times the Princes in England have done ſomething illegal to get Money: But then came a Parliament and all was well, the People and the Prince kiſt and were Friends, and ſo things were quiet for a while.
a. 1654, John Selden, “Money”, in Table-Talk, 3rd edition, London: Jacob Tonson, published 1716, page 74:This is illegal, you know!
Major parties have long relied on large-scale campaign contributions, and the LDP was only recently mired in an illegal fundraising scandal. Sanseito drew its support from smaller, individual donations.
2025 July 24, Ned Temko, “In Japan, too, voters want their country to be ‘great again’”, in The Christian Science Monitor, archived from the original on 27 Jul 2025:Imagine a country where children do nothing but play until they start compulsory schooling at age seven. Then, without exception, they attend comprehensives until the age of 16. Charging school fees is illegal, and so is sorting pupils into ability groups by streaming or setting.
2013 July 19, Peter Wilby, “Finland spreads word on schools”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 6, archived from the original on 25 Mar 2022, page 30:It's illegal to go over 70mph on any British road, so why should drivers have cars that can?
2026 February 18, Dickon Ross, “No need for speed”, in RAIL, number 1055, page 3:Nearly 40 million people live in UK areas with illegal air pollution
Their illegal mining operations in Asia, Africa and elsewhere, are protected by officials and police paid to look the other way – and powerful customers in the construction industry who prefer not to ask too many questions.
-
Forbidden by established rules.
Moving a pawn backward is an illegal move in chess.
The computer program performed an illegal operation and was terminated.
- (of an issue printed for collectors) Totally fictitious, and often issued on behalf of a non-existent territory or country.
-
(of a person, offensive, sometimes) Being or doing something illegally.
illegal immigrant
illegal logger
illegal pilot
- (US, offensive, sometimes) Being an illegal immigrant; residing in a country illegally.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| illegaler | Degree=Cmp, Polite=Infm | nonstandard | lexicographic |
| more illegal | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| most illegal | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| illegalest | Degree=Sup, Polite=Infm | nonstandard | lexicographic |
Antonyms
legitimate · licit · lawful · rightful · lawful · legal · legal · de jure
Deriveds
illegalist · illegal combatant · illegal immigration · illegal alien · illegalness · illegalisation · illegalize · illegalise · illegal immigrant · illegalism · illegal forward kick · illegal prime · illegal number
Synonyms
disallowed · prohibited · proscribed · disallowed · banned · illegitimate · impermissible · felonious · illicit · forbidden · illicit · verboten · criminal · lawbreaking · illegal · nonlawful · illegal · proscript · interdicted · unlawful · outlawed · nonallowed · unpermitted · wrongful · nonlicet · criminal · unallowed · crimeful · bogus · irregular · banned · undocumented · illicit
Translations (165)
cmn 不法的 (contrary to or forbidden by law) · ru нелега́льный (contrary to or forbidden by law) · cy anghyfreithlon (contrary to or forbidden by law) · gl ilícito (contrary to or forbidden by law) · ka კანონსაწინააღმდეგო (contrary to or forbidden by law) · fi laiton (contrary to or forbidden by law) · kmr memnûh (prohibited by established rules) · sh nezakonit (contrary to or forbidden by law) · kmr qaçax (contrary to or forbidden by law) · sw haramu (contrary to or forbidden by law) · km ខុសច្បាប់ (contrary to or forbidden by law) · el παράνομος (contrary to or forbidden by law) · pt proibido (prohibited by established rules) · tr illegal (contrary to or forbidden by law) · bg незаконен (contrary to or forbidden by law) · nn ulovleg (contrary to or forbidden by law) · mi turekore (prohibited by established rules) · sv lagstridig (contrary to or forbidden by law) · nb forbudt (contrary to or forbidden by law) · kmr qedexe (contrary to or forbidden by law) · ga mídhleathach (contrary to or forbidden by law) · ar غَيْر قَانُونِيٍّ (contrary to or forbidden by law) · kk заңсыз (contrary to or forbidden by law) · bg забранен (prohibited by established rules) · grc παράνομος (prohibited by established rules) · kmr qedexe (prohibited by established rules) · mk противзаконски (contrary to or forbidden by law) · lad vetitus (prohibited by established rules) · az qadağan (prohibited by established rules) · hu illegális (contrary to or forbidden by law) · ga neamhdhlíthiúil (contrary to or forbidden by law) · sq paligjshme (contrary to or forbidden by law) · rif ḍḍed n lqanun (contrary to or forbidden by law) · vi bất hợp pháp (contrary to or forbidden by law) · as অবৈধ (contrary to or forbidden by law) · oc illegal (contrary to or forbidden by law) · ru неве́рный (prohibited by established rules) · is ólöglegur (contrary to or forbidden by law) · hy անօրինական (contrary to or forbidden by law) · ur ناجائز (contrary to or forbidden by law) · hi ग़ैरक़ानूनी (contrary to or forbidden by law) · de illegal (contrary to or forbidden by law) · pdt onjesazlich (contrary to or forbidden by law) · mk недозволен (prohibited by established rules) · fr interdit (prohibited by established rules) · az qeyri-leqal (contrary to or forbidden by law) · as চোৰাং (contrary to or forbidden by law) · ro nelegal (contrary to or forbidden by law) · mn хууль бус (contrary to or forbidden by law) · ja 違法の (contrary to or forbidden by law) · be незако́нны (contrary to or forbidden by law) · es ilegal (contrary to or forbidden by law) · la illicitus (contrary to or forbidden by law) · be нелега́льны (contrary to or forbidden by law) · ga neamhdhleathach (contrary to or forbidden by law) · ko 불법적인 (contrary to or forbidden by law) · nb illegal (contrary to or forbidden by law) · lad defendido (prohibited by established rules) · gl ilegal (prohibited by established rules) · bg нелегален (contrary to or forbidden by law) · ary ممنوع (prohibited by established rules) · nb lovstridig (contrary to or forbidden by law) · mi turekore (contrary to or forbidden by law) · mk незаконски (contrary to or forbidden by law) · sk nezákonný (contrary to or forbidden by law) · ast illegal (contrary to or forbidden by law) · et seadusvastane (contrary to or forbidden by law) · tt яшерен (contrary to or forbidden by law) · uk незако́нний (contrary to or forbidden by law) · th ที่ผิดกฎหมาย (contrary to or forbidden by law) · ro ilegal (contrary to or forbidden by law) · kmr derqanûn (contrary to or forbidden by law) · el άνομος (contrary to or forbidden by law) · ug قانۇنسىز (contrary to or forbidden by law) · nb ulovlig (prohibited by established rules) · el έκνομος (contrary to or forbidden by law) · lv pretlikumīgs (contrary to or forbidden by law) · lad defendida (prohibited by established rules) · it illegale (contrary to or forbidden by law) · cmn 非法的 (contrary to or forbidden by law) · lad asurá (contrary to or forbidden by law) · eo kontraŭleĝa (contrary to or forbidden by law) · de illegal (prohibited by established rules) · mk нелегален (contrary to or forbidden by law) · vi trái phép (contrary to or forbidden by law) · sd غير قانوني (contrary to or forbidden by law) · rmq contra layí (contrary to or forbidden by law) · hy ապօրինի (contrary to or forbidden by law) · sv otillåten (prohibited by established rules) · sw haramu (prohibited by established rules) · sh ilegalan (contrary to or forbidden by law) · as আইন বিৰোধী (contrary to or forbidden by law) · ko 반칙의 (prohibited by established rules) · rif tmmennuɛ (prohibited by established rules) · ms haram (contrary to or forbidden by law) · lt neteisėtas (contrary to or forbidden by law) · lad prohibitus (prohibited by established rules) · el απαγορευμένος (prohibited by established rules) · haw mawaho o ke kānāwai (contrary to or forbidden by law) · grc ἀθέμιτος (contrary to or forbidden by law) · nl illegaal (contrary to or forbidden by law) · rmq pajuñó (prohibited by established rules) · ru непра́вильный (prohibited by established rules) · mk и́легален (contrary to or forbidden by law) · ur غیرقانونی (contrary to or forbidden by law) · tr yasa dışı (contrary to or forbidden by law) · az qanunsuz (contrary to or forbidden by law) · mk неправилен (prohibited by established rules) · nb ulovlig (contrary to or forbidden by law) · hi ख़िलाफ़क़ानून (contrary to or forbidden by law) · de rechtswidrig (contrary to or forbidden by law) · hi अवैध (contrary to or forbidden by law) · cmn 禁止的 (prohibited by established rules) · sk ilegálny (contrary to or forbidden by law) · cy anghyfreithiol (contrary to or forbidden by law) · et illegaalne (contrary to or forbidden by law) · nl strafbaar (contrary to or forbidden by law) · ro ilegal (prohibited by established rules) · rif mmennuɛ (prohibited by established rules) · pl nielegalny (contrary to or forbidden by law) · fi lainvastainen (contrary to or forbidden by law) · lad asur (contrary to or forbidden by law) · cs nezákonný (contrary to or forbidden by law) · ka აკრძალული (contrary to or forbidden by law) · he אָסוּר (prohibited by established rules) · fr illégal (contrary to or forbidden by law) · uk нелега́льний (contrary to or forbidden by law) · gl ilegal (contrary to or forbidden by law) · pt ilegal (prohibited by established rules) · es ilegal (prohibited by established rules) · as বেআইনী (contrary to or forbidden by law) · fr défendu (prohibited by established rules) · kmr neqanûnî (contrary to or forbidden by law) · ary غير قانوني (contrary to or forbidden by law) · kmr memnûh (contrary to or forbidden by law) · ru незако́нный (contrary to or forbidden by law) · sv illegal (contrary to or forbidden by law) · ja 不法の (contrary to or forbidden by law) · kmr yasax (contrary to or forbidden by law) · grc παράνομος (contrary to or forbidden by law) · rmq pajuñí (prohibited by established rules) · el παράνομος (prohibited by established rules) · haw kū ʻole i ke kānāwai (contrary to or forbidden by law) · ca il·legal (prohibited by established rules) · sd منع ٿيل (prohibited by established rules) · pt ilegal (contrary to or forbidden by law) · ka არალეგალური (contrary to or forbidden by law) · nl onwettig (contrary to or forbidden by law) · ka უკანონო (contrary to or forbidden by law) · mg voarara (prohibited by established rules) · ja 違法の (prohibited by established rules) · mk незаконит (contrary to or forbidden by law) · cmn 不合法的 (contrary to or forbidden by law) · mg raràna (prohibited by established rules) · cs ilegální (contrary to or forbidden by law) · sv förbjuden (prohibited by established rules) · he בלתי חוקי (contrary to or forbidden by law) · ca il·legal (contrary to or forbidden by law) · ru неправоме́рный (contrary to or forbidden by law) · ka არაკანონიერი (contrary to or forbidden by law) · sv olaglig (contrary to or forbidden by law) · az qeyri-qanuni (contrary to or forbidden by law) · fi sääntöjen vastainen (prohibited by established rules) · ga aindleathach (contrary to or forbidden by law) · et ebaseaduslik (contrary to or forbidden by law)