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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
leg, legis (law)
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
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:
Hunting down press leaks that report the government’s illegality, ineptitude or ill-equippedness in an undeclared war is not.
From Salon ● Sep. 14, 2026
Had there ever been a law code that explicitly endorsed illegality?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
For those who support Mamdani, it’s important to begin talking about the illegality of impoundment now.
From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2025
Despite reminders from law enforcement regarding the dangers and illegality of non-sanctioned fireworks displays, many residents throughout L.A.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 5, 2025
Ill And they inevitably move into more and more, worse and worse, illegality and immorality.
From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey
She has been extremely active in denouncing corruption, illegalities, arbitrary actions by the authorities, and human rights violations.
From Barron's ● Mar. 19, 2026
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
But if, if we're in a world right now where it's recently clear that we can't fix mistakes or illegalities after the fact, then it does have to be stopped before they happen.
From Salon ● Apr. 17, 2025
Antonio Costa stepped down on Tuesday over an investigation into alleged illegalities in his government's handling of green energy projects, forcing President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa to call the snap election for March 10.
From Reuters ● Nov. 10, 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.
