Dictionary

illicit en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /ɪˈlɪsɪt/
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

Borrowed from French illicite, from Latin illicitus, from in- (“not”) + licitus (“allowed, permitted”), from licet (“it is allowed”). By surface analysis, il- + licit.

Meanings

1. Not approved by law, but not invalid.
   • The bigamous marriage, while illicit, was not invalid.
   • Such migrants may violate our laws against illicit entry, but if that's all they do then they are trespassers, not criminals. 2008 January 8, Madeleine Albright, Memo to the President Elect: How We Can Restore America's Reputation and Leadership, New York: HarperCollins, →ISBN, →OL, page 225:
2. Breaking social norms.
   • I only can properly enjoy carol services if I am having an illicit affair with someone in the congregation. 1993, Alan Clark, Diaries: In Power 1983-1992, London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, →ISBN, →OL:
3. Unlawful.
   • Ayşe Erkoç learned long ago that the secret of doing anything illicit in Istanbul is to do it in full public gaze in the clear light of day. No one ever questions the legitimacy of the blatant. 2010 July 29, Ian McDonald, The Dervish House, →ISBN, →OL:

Forms

Deriveds

illicitness · illicitly

Relateds

elicit

Synonyms

unpermitted · crimeful · improper · impermissible · criminal · banned · illicit · illegitimate · scandalous · nonlawful · nonallowed · verboten · disallowed · unallowed · prohibited · prohibited · illicit · unlawful · deviant · outlawed · wrongful · forbidden · nonlicet · illegal · illegal · proscribed · illegitimate · nonlicet · illegal · criminal · proscript · disallowed · interdicted · lawbreaking

Translations (45)

fi luvaton (breaking social norms) · pl niedozwolony (lacking licitness) · es ilícito (unlawful) · bg незаконен (unlawful) · bg забранен (lacking licitness) · fi luvaton (lacking licitness) · cs nezákonný (lacking licitness) · hi अवैध (unlawful) · el έκνομος (lacking licitness) · el έκνομος (unlawful) · el παράνομος (unlawful) · de verboten (breaking social norms) · hi अवैध (lacking licitness) · kk заңсыз (unlawful) · ru недозволенный (lacking licitness) · de unzulässig (breaking social norms) · de rechtswidrig (unlawful) · el παράνομος (lacking licitness) · cs nepřijatelný (breaking social norms) · ca il·lícit (unlawful) · pt ilícito (lacking licitness) · cs zakázaný (unlawful) · cs nezákonný (unlawful) · la illicitus (lacking licitness) · cs nedovolený (lacking licitness) · de unerlaubt (breaking social norms) · cmn 不合法的 (unlawful) · fi laiton (unlawful) · fi laiton (breaking social norms) · ru неположенный (breaking social norms) · el αθέμιτος (breaking social norms) · es ilícito (lacking licitness) · pt ilícito (breaking social norms) · nl onwettig (unlawful) · fr illicite (breaking social norms) · la illicitus (unlawful) · cs neoprávněný (unlawful) · fr illicite (lacking licitness) · la illicitus (breaking social norms) · cmn 非法的 (unlawful) · pt ilícito (unlawful) · cs zakázaný (lacking licitness) · fr illicite (unlawful) · ca il·lícit (lacking licitness) · ru незако́нный (unlawful)

illicit en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ɪˈlɪsɪt/
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

Borrowed from French illicite, from Latin illicitus, from in- (“not”) + licitus (“allowed, permitted”), from licet (“it is allowed”). By surface analysis, il- + licit.

Meanings

1. A banned or unlawful item.
   • A large number of studies, however, have reported that it is rare for the user of 'hard' drugs not to have initiated cannabis use prior to the other illicits. 2011, Shane Darke, The Life of the Heroin User: Typical Beginnings, Trajectories and Outcomes:

Forms