illicit
Americanadjective
-
not legally permitted or authorized; unlicensed; unlawful.
- Synonyms:
- prohibited, illegitimate
-
disapproved of or not permitted for moral or ethical reasons.
adjective
-
another word for illegal
-
not allowed or approved by common custom, rule, or standard
illicit sexual relations
Related Words
See illegal.
Other Word Forms
- illicitly adverb
- illicitness noun
Etymology
Origin of illicit
First recorded in 1645–55; from Latin illicitus, equivalent to il- 2 + licit ( def. )
Compare meaning
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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.
Some 55 Ghanaians have been killed while fighting in Ukraine, the country's foreign minister said on Friday, promising a crackdown on illicit recruitment schemes luring citizens to Russia under false pretences.
From Barron's
Barrett has said in legal filings he did “nothing inappropriate involving Mr. Epstein or his accounts” and he wasn’t aware of any illicit activity.
Treasury Department on Thursday said it’s proposing to sever a Swiss bank from the U.S. financial system over alleged illicit ties to Russia and Iran.
From MarketWatch
The U.S. leader made no mention of ongoing Mexican enforcement efforts that have seen large-scale seizures of illicit drugs, destruction of clandestine laboratories, and the arrests of scores of cartel operatives.
From Los Angeles Times
The US Treasury Department also announced new sanctions targeting more than 30 individuals, entities and vessels said to be enabling "illicit Iranian petroleum sales" and weapons production.
From Barron's
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.
