illegal

[ih-lee-guh l] /ɪˈli gəl/
adjective
1.
forbidden by law or statute.
2.
contrary to or forbidden by official rules, regulations, etc.:
The referee ruled that it was an illegal forward pass.
noun
3.
Informal. illegal alien.
Origin
1620-30; < Medieval Latin illēgālis. See il-2, legal
Related forms
illegally, adverb
Can be confused
illegal, illicit (see synonym study at the current entry)
Synonyms
1. unlawful; illegitimate; illicit; unlicensed. Illegal, unlawful, illegitimate, illicit, criminal can all describe actions not in accord with law. Illegal refers most specifically to violations of statutes or, in organized athletics, codified rules: an illegal seizure of property; an illegal block (in football ). Unlawful means not sanctioned by or according to law: an unlawful claim to the inheritance; to take unlawful advantage of the trading situation. Illegitimate means lacking legal or traditional right or rights: an illegitimate child; illegitimate use of privileged knowledge. Illicit, which originally meant simply “not permitted,” now most often applies to matters regulated by law with specific emphasis on the way things are carried out: illicit conversion of property; an illicit attempt to control the market. Criminal most often refers to violation of the statutes of penal as opposed to civil law. All felonies are criminal as are all crimes sometimes punishable by death such as murder, arson, and kidnapping: a criminal act.
Examples from the web for illegal
  • illegal immigration is an all-purpose policy explosive.
  • They face habitat loss, illegal hunting for skins and other body parts, and retaliatory killing when they prey on livestock.
  • Dog proves better than lab tests at detecting illegal sewage.
  • It is illegal to harvest many native plants from the wild.
  • The idea is to stop illegal immigration in the workplace, not at the border.
  • The country has little reason to worry about illegal immigration.
  • illegal trade in endangered species continues to grow around the world.
  • Gas stations are illegal within city limits as are neon signs and billboards.
  • Excessive pollen has made these illegal in some desert jurisdictions.
  • Both sides agree, however, that it's illegal to listen in on cordless phones.
British Dictionary definitions for illegal

illegal

/ɪˈliːɡəl/
adjective
1.
forbidden by law; unlawful; illicit
2.
unauthorized or prohibited by a code of official or accepted rules
noun
3.
a person who has entered or attempted to enter a country illegally
Derived Forms
illegally, adverb
illegality, noun
Word Origin and History for illegal
adj.

1620s, from French illégal or directly from Medieval Latin illegalis, from assimilated form of in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + Latin legalis (see legal). Term illegal immigrant first recorded 1892 in American English (illegal immigration is from 1887).