Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of illegality
From the Medieval Latin word illēgālitās, dating back to 1630–40. See illegal, -ity
Explanation
Illegality is the state of being against the rules or the law. Sometimes you have to break the law to effect change. The students knew the illegality of their actions, and that they might be arrested, but they figured it was worth it to change a bad law. The root word of illegality is legal, which is from the Latin word legalis, which means related to or pertaining to the law. Il- means not, so illegal means "not legal," and -ity is a suffix used to make an adjective a noun meaning the "state of or condition of." So literally, illegality is the condition of being not legal. Despite the illegality, people often break the law when it comes to speed limits.
Vocabulary lists containing illegality
leg, legis
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leg, legis (law)
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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.
See Examples For:
Had there ever been a law code that explicitly endorsed illegality?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
“We welcome this swift and much-needed relief for Isaac, which is a testament to the blatant illegality of the government’s actions,” said Lauren Wilfong, a lawyer with the National Day Laborer Organizing Network.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 23, 2026
In written submissions, Christopher Newman, representing Lowe, said the "substantive claim to judicial review alleges procedural unfairness in the processes of ICGS, as well as perversity and illegality".
From BBC ● Feb. 24, 2026
But the illegality of her job before 2022 raised significant challenges.
From BBC ● Nov. 30, 2024
But he must have sensed that engaging in one illegality sort of loosened other holds on Dedd.
From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez
He accused Harvard of "serious and heinous illegalities", but did not clarify how he believed it had broken the law.
From BBC ● Feb. 3, 2026
Brazil's Climate Observatory NGO said civil society organizations would go to court to fight the decision, based on "illegalities and technical flaws" in the licensing process.
From Barron's ● Oct. 20, 2025
Portuguese Socialist Prime Minister Antonio Costa stepped down on Nov. 7 over an investigation into alleged illegalities in his government's handling of lithium, hydrogen and data centre deals.
From Reuters ● Nov. 24, 2023
Before the disclosure, Senate investigators and the special prosecutor were relying primarily on the testimony of another aide, John Dean, to establish proof of the many illegalities alleged against the president and his key advisers.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 24, 2023
But this was only a temporary measure; the government would not let a few illegalities stand in their way.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
