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
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.
As scams surge nationwide, the “lonely hearts” ruse remains a classic: Con artists, who could be prisoners on contraband cellphones or overseas syndicates, prey on vulnerable people seeking companionship.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2026
It said the vessel was carrying "2,500 containers of contraband" and had taken an "unauthorised route".
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
It said the vessel was carrying 2,500 containers of contraband and which had crossed by what it described as an “authorized and dangerous” route.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
“Like all correctional agencies, contraband, particularly cell phones, narcotics, and weapons, remains a constant challenge, and we continue to tackle the problem of contraband being introduced into our facilities,” the spokesperson said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026
Nurse Curtis watched us from the door to make sure Audrey wasn’t sneaking me contraband.
From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
