1
as in unlawful
contrary to or forbidden by law
it is illegal to import those birds into this country
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in foul
not being in accordance with the rules or standards of what is fair in sport
an illegal pass
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of illegal
Louisville police say anything that goes into the air or explodes is illegal for average citizens.
—
James Bruggers, The Courier-Journal, 5 July 2017
Official fireworks shows took place over the city, and illegal pyrotechnics lit up the sky everywhere in between.
—Lisa Beebe, Los Angeles Magazine, 5 July 2017
Facebook has been scrutinized for its handling of its users’ data, and social networks face fines in Germany for failing to swiftly take down hate speech and illegal content.
—Amie Tsang, New York Times, 4 July 2017
In the 1950s and 1960s, major city hospitals in the United States admitted as many as 20 to 30 women a day for complications from illegal or self-induced abortions.
—Cindy Crabb, Teen Vogue, 1 July 2017
Will Ferrell and Amy Poehler as a stuck-in-a-rut suburban couple who open an illegal casino to pay for their daughter's college tuition.
—Owen Gleiberman, chicagotribune.com, 30 June 2017
They are charged with illegal re-entry into the United States after previous deportation or removal, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Robert O. Posey and U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement Special Agent in Charge Ray Parmer.
—Carol Robinson, AL.com, 30 June 2017
Trump later walked back these comments, sort of, saying that instead, doctors should be punished for providing abortions if the procedure were made illegal.
—Michael Sebastian, Cosmopolitan, 29 June 2017
A Helsinki district court on Wednesday ordered the assets of Uber's Finnish country manager be confiscated until police conclude an investigation into whether the U.S. ride-hailing firm operates an illegal taxi service in Finland.
—Reuters, Fortune, 28 June 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for illegal
Adjective
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None, however, elaborated on what orders were considered unlawful.—
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The California Coastal Commission has issued multiple cease-and-desist orders to Sable Offshore for allegedly conducting unlawful repair work.—
Adjective
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Four players attempted five or more foul shots.—
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The game officials ruled that Gobert impeded Wembanyama's ability to safely land on the follow-through from his jump shot, giving him six flagrant foul points for the season.—
Adjective
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The announcement follows the federal government’s crackdown on illicit sports gambling and point-shaving schemes that involved the NBA in October.—
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The idea is to remove non-paying riders, often who are homeless, mentally ill or taking illicit drugs, from the system.—
Adjective
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To make matters worse, charging nonresidents more than residents pay is mean-spirited and unfair.—
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Dungy wrote on social media that the schedule was unfair.—
Adjective
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Texas criminal defense attorney Javier Guzman advised that aiding and abetting charges can result in fines of up to $250,000 and prison sentences of up to 10 years, depending on the conduct and whether the assistance was for profit.—
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The driver was cited and is expected to get a criminal complaint for endangered driving.—
Adjective
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Richards has missed Palace’s previous four fixtures after picking up a nasty foot injury against Leeds in the Premier League just before Christmas.—
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Ra Shaya Kyle, feeling miserable with a nasty cold that kept her out of practice for two days, scored a career-high 30 points to lead the University of Miami women’s basketball team to an 89-73 win over rival Florida State University on Sunday afternoon at the Watsco Center.—
Cite this Entry
“Illegal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illegal. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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