contraband
Americannoun
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anything prohibited by law from being imported or exported.
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goods imported or exported illegally.
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illegal or prohibited trade; smuggling.
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International Law. contraband of war.
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(during the American Civil War) an enslaved Black person who escaped to or was brought within the Union lines.
adjective
noun
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goods that are prohibited by law from being exported or imported
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illegally imported or exported goods
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illegal traffic in such goods; smuggling
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Also called: contraband of war. international law goods that a neutral country may not supply to a belligerent
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(during the American Civil War) a Black slave captured by the Union forces or one who escaped to the Union lines
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of contraband
First recorded in 1520–30; earlier contrabanda, from Spanish, from Italian contrabando (now contrabbando ), equivalent to contra “against” + Medieval Latin bandum, variant of bannum “edict”; see origin at contra 1 ( def. ), ban 2
Explanation
Contraband means "illicit goods" and usually refers to stuff that's imported or exported illegally, like weapons and certain exotic pets (like tigers). Contra means "against" (contradict, contrary) and bando means "ban," so contraband simply means "against a ban," or despite the rules. Place of origin: Italy. Somehow the word got imported by the English, but there aren't any laws against word-importation, so it would be a stretch to say that contraband is itself contraband.
Vocabulary lists containing contraband
Against All Odds: Contra and Counter
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Hamilton
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Excerpts from "To Kill a Mockingbird"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In an enlightening guest post for the newsletter Contraband Camp, critic Brooke Obie states that the reaction is just another instance of Hollywood changing the standards of success for Black cinema.
From Salon • Apr. 26, 2025
Contraband cellphones and staffing shortages are often blamed for many of the department’s woes.
From Seattle Times • Apr. 17, 2018
Contraband was taken and 35 people were arrested on the island, while 13 of them would eventually be sent to camps, according to the Bainbridge Island Japanese American Community website.
From Washington Times • Dec. 11, 2016
Hades to Killian: "You and your colleagues brought hope to the Underworld. Contraband."
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 21, 2016
But instead of returning to the Department of the South, she worked in the Contraband Hospital at Fortress Monroe.
From "Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad" by Ann Petry
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
