contraband

American  

[kon-truh-band] / ˈkɒn trəˌbænd /

noun

1. anything prohibited by law from being imported or exported.

2. goods imported or exported illegally.

3. illegal or prohibited trade; smuggling.

4. International Law. contraband of war.

5. (during the American Civil War) an enslaved Black person who escaped to or was brought within the Union lines.

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adjective

1. prohibited from export or import.

contraband British  

/ ˈkɒntrəˌbænd /

noun

1. 1. goods that are prohibited by law from being exported or imported

   2. illegally imported or exported goods

2. illegal traffic in such goods; smuggling

3. Also called: contraband of war.  international law goods that a neutral country may not supply to a belligerent

4. (during the American Civil War) a Black slave captured by the Union forces or one who escaped to the Union lines

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adjective

1. 1. forbidden by law from being imported or exported

   2. illegally imported or exported

contraband Cultural  

1. Goods illegally transported across borders to avoid the payment of taxes.

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Other Word Forms

• contrabandist noun
• noncontraband noun

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”; 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.

Example Sentences

After a visit home, I returned to campus with a stockpile, like a confectionery smuggler crossing state lines with sugary contraband stuffed between sweatshirts in my suitcase.

From Salon • Mar. 17, 2026

According to the ICE website, the HSI investigates global threats, investigating the illegal movement of people, goods, money, contraband, weapons and sensitive technology into, out of, and through the United States.

From Barron's • Jan. 27, 2026

Just ask Ernie, the canine star of an article about dogs trained to sniff out prison contraband.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 23, 2026

It was blowing east into Belarus the night we were out with the patrol and the only boxes the soldiers found in a car were full of Christmas shopping not contraband.

From BBC • Dec. 14, 2025

Newspapers were more valuable to political prisoners than gold or diamonds, more hungered for than food or tobacco; they were the most precious contraband on Robben Island.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Related Words

• bootleg
• illicit
• prohibited
• smuggled
• unauthorized