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
Etymology
Origin of illicit
First recorded in 1645–55; from Latin illicitus, equivalent to il- 2 + licit ( def. )
Compare meaning
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Explanation
Illicit means not allowed by law or custom. It's illegal to kill endangered elephants, but many poachers still engage in the Illicit ivory trade. Illicit usually refers to something that is not morally proper or acceptable. Illicit activities — like smuggling or counterfeiting — happen under the radar of the law. Illicit is from Latin illicitus, from the prefix in-, "not," plus licitus, "lawful."
Vocabulary lists containing illicit
Some Tricky Homonyms
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This Week in Words: September 1 - 7, 2018
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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.
"Illicit" addresses identified by data firm Chainalysis accounted for 23% of funds sent to mixers in 2022, rising from 12% in 2021.
From Reuters • Aug. 23, 2022
Illicit climbing is “really problematic” for the tree and its surroundings, Mr. Russell said, but “climbers are the least of it.”
From New York Times • Aug. 2, 2022
The writer is the author of “Legalizing Prostitution: From Illicit Vice to Lawful Business.”
From Washington Post • Aug. 15, 2019
Illicit wildlife trafficking is estimated to be a $7 billion to $23 billion global industry, with the U.S. being the second-largest market behind China, according to experts.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 20, 2018
Some time afterwards we had Some discourse Concerning the Illicit Trade that is Carried on by the Inhabitants of Curacoa.
From Privateering and Piracy in the Colonial Period Illustrative Documents by Jameson, J. Franklin (John Franklin)
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.
