illegalil‧le‧gal1 /ɪˈliːɡəl/ ●●● W3 AWL adjective 
illegal drugs They were involved in illegal activities.it is illegal to do something It is illegal to sell tobacco to someone under 16.RegisterIn everyday English, people often say that something is against the law rather than illegal:· It is against the law to have a gun without a licence.—illegally adverb: They entered the country illegally.—illegality /ˌɪlɪˈɡæləti/ noun [uncountable]COLLOCATIONSadverbscompletely/totally illegal· The deal was completely illegal.highly illegal (=completely illegal)· It all sounds highly illegal.strictly illegal formal (=completely illegal – used for emphasis)· Phone tapping is strictly illegal.technically illegal (=according to the exact details of a law)· This type of boxing, although technically illegal, remained popular until the 1880s.verbsbe illegal· It is illegal to sell tobacco products to anyone under the age of 16.become illegal· The drug did not become illegal until the 1970s.make something illegal· He was involved in the campaign to make hunting illegal.declare something illegal· The strike was declared illegal on July 7.illegal + NOUNan illegal weapon· He was charged with carrying an illegal weapon.illegal drugs· She was found guilty of possession of illegal drugs.an illegal substance (=an illegal drug)· Customs officials found an illegal substance in Smith’s luggage.illegal parking/gambling/hunting etc· The fines for illegal parking are likely to increase.illegal immigrants· An estimated seven million illegal immigrants are brought into Europe each year.illegal activities· They were suspected of being involved in illegal activities.an illegal act· Driving without insurance is an illegal act.illegal use of something· They were found guilty of the illegal use of confidential information.THESAURUSillegal forbidden by law: · It is illegal to sell tobacco to children under 16.· illegal immigrants· He was carrying an illegal weapon.be against the law to be illegal. This phrase is very commonly used in everyday English, instead of saying that something is illegal: · Driving a car without insurance is against the law.· It’s against the law to hit a child.unlawful illegal – a rather formal word, which is used especially when this particular action is considered to be illegal, although there are some situations where such actions can be legal: · The judges said that the strike was unlawful.· The money was obtained by unlawful means.· a verdict of unlawful killingillicit illicit activities or goods are illegal and usually kept secret: · Marijuana remains the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States.· the illicit trade in stolen cattleillegitimate not allowed or acceptable according to rules or agreements: · the illegitimate use of power· The election results were declared to be illegitimate.· illegitimate share tradingunconstitutional not allowed by a country’s constitution (=set of rules and principles by which a country is governed): · The court ruled that the new law was unconstitutional.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- illegal drugs
- All unions have been declared illegal by the ruling party.
- An increasing number of racist attacks are being carried out by the NPA and other illegal organizations.
- Gorbachev wanted to make all strikes illegal, but the Soviet parliament refused to accept such a ban.
- In those days, abortion was illegal.
- It's illegal to make copies of computer programs.
- It is illegal to sell tobacco to children under 16.
- Large numbers of illegal immigrants crossed the border at night.
- Scott was arrested for being in possession of illegal drugs.
- Since 1990, it has been illegal for the US to develop or possess biological weapons.
- Found guilty of seditious conspiracy and possession of illegal weapons, they are serving prison terms ranging from 35 to 105 years.
- If the tapes were illegal or pornographic, turning down the money would have made sense.
- Most of what they do and others do to them is illegal, deceitful and untruthful.
- Selling or wearing gas masks was made illegal.
- These civil actions failed to stop the irrepressible hotelier from operating his illegal ferry system.
- They believe any moves to reduce the number of firearms will only create a black market in illegal weapons.
- When David Hale claims he was pressured into making illegal loans, he is branded a crook and a liar.
THESAURUS
forbidden by law: · It is illegal to sell tobacco to children under 16.· illegal immigrants· He was carrying an illegal weapon.
to be illegal. This phrase is very commonly used in everyday English, instead of saying that something is illegal: · Driving a car without insurance is against the law.· It’s against the law to hit a child.
illegal – a rather formal word, which is used especially when this particular action is considered to be illegal, although there are some situations where such actions can be legal: · The judges said that the strike was unlawful.· The money was obtained by unlawful means.· a verdict of unlawful killing
illicit activities or goods are illegal and usually kept secret: · Marijuana remains the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States.· the illicit trade in stolen cattle
not allowed or acceptable according to rules or agreements: · the illegitimate use of power· The election results were declared to be illegitimate.· illegitimate share trading
not allowed by a country’s constitution (=set of rules and principles by which a country is governed): · The court ruled that the new law was unconstitutional.
Longman Language Activatorillegal forbidden by law: · Scott was arrested for being in possession of illegal drugs.· In those days, abortion was illegal.· Large numbers of illegal immigrants crossed the border at night.it is illegal (for somebody) to do something: · It is illegal to sell tobacco to children under 16.· Since 1990, it has been illegal for the US to develop or possess biological weapons.make something illegal: · Gorbachev wanted to make all strikes illegal, but the Soviet parliament refused to accept such a ban.
to be illegal: · Driving a car without insurance is against the law.it is against the law (for somebody) to do something: · In Britain, it's against the law to own a gun without having a licence.· Nowadays it is against the law for a teacher to hit a child in any circumstances.
if something is a crime it is illegal and you can be punished for it: · Violence in the home is a crime, just as much as violence from a stranger.it is a crime (for somebody) to do something: · It should not be a crime for people to criticize their own government.
illegal - use this especially about something that could be legal if the situation in which it was done was different: · The court ruled that the raid had been unlawful.· unlawful employment practicesunlawful arrest/killing/imprisonment etc (=the illegal arrest, killing etc of someone): · Anyone who has been the victim of unlawful arrest is entitled to compensation.
: criminal activities/behaviour/offence etc activities, behaviour etc that can be severely punished by law: · Cruelty to animals is a criminal offence.· It was estimated that Walker had made around £100,000 from his criminal activities.
illicit activities or goods are illegal and usually kept secret: · Illicit diamond exports are said to be worth over $200 million.· Marijuana remains the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States.
if a type of behaviour or an activity is against the rules , it is not allowed by the rules of an organization, game etc: · Smoking in the school building is strictly against the rules.it's against the rules to do something: · It's against the rules to touch the ball with your hand.
an illegal action British /offense American an illegal action for which you can be punished: · Travelling on the train without a ticket is an offence.it is an offence (for somebody) to do something: · It is an offence for a shopkeeper to sell alcohol to anyone under 18.commit an offence (=do something illegal): · Davies claimed that he did not know he was committing an offence by accessing the website.criminal offence: · Driving when drunk is a criminal offence.serious offence: · The number of women convicted of serious offences is still relatively small.minor offence (=not serious): · Motorists can be fined on the spot for minor offences, such as speeding.
an illegal action, especially one that breaks a law that protects someone's rights: infringement of: · The new rule was regarded as an infringement of the free-speech rights of government employees.· an infringement of Article 86 of the Treaty of Rome
an action that breaks a law or agreement, especially one that has been agreed by several different countries - use this about a serious illegal action: violation of: · Any further fighting will be seen as a violation of the ceasefire agreement.flagrant/blatant violation of something (=one that is done without any attempt to hide it): · The United Nations described the invasion as 'a flagrant violation of international law'.gross violation of something (=a very serious violation): · The way they treat women there represents a gross violation of human rights.in violation of something: · The UK government was found to be in violation of the European Convention.
something that a company or government does that breaks a particular law, especially when they do not do it intentionally: breach of: · This is a clear breach of the 1994 Trade Agreement.breach of contract: · Workers who have lost their jobs plan to sue the company for breach of contract.be in breach of something: · In future, six-monthly accounts will be required from those firms that are in breach of the rules.
formal something a business, organization, or government does that breaks a particular law or part of an official agreement: in contravention of something: · Many shops and bars stayed open, in contravention of the Sunday trading laws.contravention of: · It was a clear contravention of EU regulations.
to do something that is illegal · If you break the law, you must expect to be punished.· You're breaking the law if you drive without wearing a seat belt.· In many cases, people who have been released from prison will break the law again.
: commit a crime/an offence/burglary/murder etc to do something that is a crime, or that is a particular type of crime: · Detectives believe that the crime was committed at around 7.30 pm.· Most violent crimes are committed by young men under the age of 25.· She later claimed that she did not realize she was committing an offense.
if something a company or government does contravenes a particular law, it breaks that law, especially unintentionally - used especially in legal or official contexts: · Penalties for contravening the laws on food hygiene have been increased.· Any interference in one country's domestic affairs by another country contravenes the UN charter.
to do something that is not allowed by the rules of an organization, game etc: · Any student caught breaking the school rules was immediately sent to the Principal.break the rules on: · Athletes can be fined thousands of dollars for breaking the rules on steroid use.
to break a law, especially one that protects someone's rights: · If a teacher makes copies of software for students, he or she is infringing copyright.· Arrangements for widow's pensions infringed laws on equal pay and treatment.
an illegal drug an illegal substance that people take for pleasure, or because they cannot stop taking it: · Thompson was arrested for selling drugs in the fall of 1992.· a new campaign to warn teens about the danger of drugsillegal drugs: · The agency's efforts to reduce the flow of illegal drugs into the United States has largely failed.hard drug (=a powerful illegal drug that can make you very ill or kill you): · Dewey said that legalizing marijuana would encourage people to experiment with hard drugs such as cocaine or heroin.soft drug (=an illegal drug that is less dangerous than a hard drug): · Seven out of ten teenagers said they had tried soft drugs.drug abuse (=the use of illegal drugs, especially in a way that is very bad for your health): · She has been treated for alcohol and drug abuse.drug addiction: · The organization tries to deal with the widespread problems of drug addiction and alcoholism.
especially American illegal drugs - used especially in news reports and in legal contexts: · Laws governing the sale of narcotics vary from state to state.· Police are investigating a recent spate of narcotics offenses in Miami.
an illegal drug of any type - used especially in legal and official contexts: · Tucker was charged with the possession of an illegal substance.· Drug tests taken 24 hours after the crash showed no trace of illegal substances in either of the drivers.
forbidden political organizations a banned political organization is one that is forbidden to meet or exist: · The government ordered members of the banned political party to appear for questioning.· Leaders of the banned trade union were arrested last night.
a political organization that is outlawed is completely forbidden to operate because it is considered extremely bad or dangerous: · The government announced that the National Democratic Party had been outlawed.· Police were blaming an outlawed leftist group for the bombing.
an illegal political organization is forbidden to operate by law: · All unions have been declared illegal by the ruling party.· An increasing number of racist attacks are being carried out by the NPA and other illegal organizations.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRYadverbs illegal aliens entering the country The war was declared illegal by the International Court of Justice. This part of the bill was ruled unconstitutional.
· The deal was completely illegal.
(=completely illegal)· It all sounds highly illegal.
formal (=completely illegal – used for emphasis)· Phone tapping is strictly illegal.
(=according to the exact details of a law)· This type of boxing, although technically illegal, remained popular until the 1880s.
verbs· It is illegal to sell tobacco products to anyone under the age of 16.
· The drug did not become illegal until the 1970s.
· He was involved in the campaign to make hunting illegal.
· The strike was declared illegal on July 7.
illegal + NOUN· He was charged with carrying an illegal weapon.
· She was found guilty of possession of illegal drugs.
(=an illegal drug)· Customs officials found an illegal substance in Smith’s luggage.
· The fines for illegal parking are likely to increase.
· An estimated seven million illegal immigrants are brought into Europe each year.
· They were suspected of being involved in illegal activities.
· Driving without insurance is an illegal act.
· They were found guilty of the illegal use of confidential information.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES· Starting the fire was a highly irresponsible criminal act.
· The bar was being used for illegal activities.
illegal aliens entering the country The war was declared illegal by the International Court of Justice.· People were put at risk by the illegal disposal of clinical waste.
· A lot of crime is connected to illegal drugs.
(=when someone gets into a building illegally)· The two men were later arrested and charged with illegal entry.
· Large numbers of illegal immigrants have found their way into the country.
· He was accused of attempting to overthrow the government using unlawful means.
· Thousands of illegal migrants were caught trying to cross the sea to England.
This part of the bill was ruled unconstitutional. (=used mainly to refer to illegal drugs)· Any player found guilty of using banned substances faces the prospect of a lengthy suspension.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSNOUN· Thousands turn to illegal abortion services, thousands more give birth to children they neither wanted nor can afford.· For $ 100, Hicks performed illegal abortions.· None of the women who were subsequently interviewed mentioned illegal abortion and the final report ignores the topic.· I, too, had had an illegal abortion.· The other said that Courtney carried out an illegal abortion at her home.· Furthermore, there were many illegal abortions before the Act.· Another alleged he carried out an illegal abortion at her home.· It is an important protection against behaving in unprofessional ways like procuring an illegal abortion or killing a handicapped baby.
· This is important as video evidence of illegal activities etc., can later be used in court to substantiate the groups claims.· Were the people you called engaged in illegal activities?· Self-report studies usually involve asking people to give information about their past illegal activities, in response to a questionnaire or interview.· No one ever expected me to know anything about their alleged illegal activities.· Some crimes were acts of protest, but within the overall context of illegal activity they were marginal.· Inpart this diversity is the result of wide variations among legal systems, popular definitions of crime and patterns of illegal activity.· But all the jollity doesn't totally obscure his illegal activities.
· Demonstrations throughout the city have focused on immigration and an calling for an amnesty for illegal aliens.· He claimed there was widespread voting by noncitizens and illegal aliens.· It is the United States that has suffered from millions of impoverished, illegal aliens coming across the lengthy border.· Then agents have a hard time distinguishing illegal aliens from others, he said.· In 1994, voters there approved Proposition 187, which restricts education, health and other state services to illegal aliens.· John Fife, were found guilty in federal court of transporting illegal aliens, conspiracy and other charges.· The illegal aliens are entitled to this.· At issue is a provision in the 1986 immigration bill barring the hiring of illegal aliens.
· Let's reduce the crime done in the name of illegal drugs...· The depositions touch on rumors of illegal drug use, extramarital affairs and petty squabbling.· Rocastle has been doing illegal drugs 2.· Cannabis, the most widely used illegal drug in Britain, is not physically addictive either.· Dealing: The report urges much tougher sanctions on the suppliers of all illegal drugs.
· Brussels' strategy is to seek alternatives to policies that compel people to risk illegal entry.· The federal government has sole responsibility to enforce immigration laws, including the prevention of illegal entries into the United States.· A matter of illegal entry from Sicily.· But it seems to me there are a couple of alternatives to illegal entry.
· After arresting the launch we took off six illegal immigrants and proceeded to Ramsgate together with Spring Flight.· Homeowners have reported a spate of vandalism, break- ins, thefts, and other crimes that they attribute to illegal immigrants.· Because employers do not bother, the papers can be produced cheaply, so more illegal immigrants come in.· The judge also barred provisions that would have allowed state agencies to investigate and report alleged illegal immigrants.· Burglaries, muggings, prostitution and murders are attributed to illegal immigrants from across the Adriatic.· Q.. What happens if an illegal immigrant is caught?· Now I have no wish to encourage illegal immigrants.· In many cases, imprisoned illegal immigrants who complete their prison sentences are released while they await deportation proceedings.
· Both men are running nasty television advertisements in California against illegal immigration.· But there was no equivocation on the issue of illegal immigration.· Pete Wilson, the governor of California, made his name on the national stage as a foe of illegal immigration.· Republicans eager to take credit for curbing illegal immigration wanted the over-all bill to proceed, without the education provision if necessary.· There, illegal immigration contributes to a labour surplus that is depressing farm wages and making working conditions worse.· Proposition 187 has been blocked by the courts, but opposition to illegal immigration remains strong in California.· The Democratic nominee was more specific on the issue of illegal immigration.· In front of the train station, however, the business is illegal immigration.
· When I die they can perform an autopsy and they will find that I have never ever taken an illegal substance.· Sure, there are people using illegal substances in the Olympics, just as there are those among the general population.· Touch illegal substances, touch people.· Samaranch did not elaborate, but he may have been referring to a more high-powered device to detect illegal substances.· It covers the use of illegal substance, lifting the seam and scuffing the leather.
· The attention these centres have attracted has made the illegal trade in baby orangs hard, if not impossible.· Airlines reportedly are cracking down on this thriving but illegal trade.· The resignations followed a series of admissions by Salomon of a string of illegal trade and rigged bids for Treasury securities.· The illegal trade in drugs supports organised crime the world over.· Fifteen years ago there was no organised illegal trade.· The illegal trade is estimated to account for one third of the world's buoyant market for wildlife.· The judge said the long sentence should serve as a warning to others tempted to join the illegal trade in exotic birds.
· In the past, there have been a number of stories about illegal use of police computer information.· In other countries, however, suspicions persist that the weapons and the paramilitary training were put to illegal use.· There is almost certainly widespread illegal use as well as approved uses.· Burgess' illegal use of alcohol ran afoul of the code, a point the righteous Karnaugh was quite eager to make.· At the other end, Jones missed a penalty awarded against Jenkins for illegal use of the boot.· The Lindop report made it fairly clear that safeguards with regard to access and illegal use are needed.· And were they aware of any leaks of confidentiality or illegal use of information by search firms at any time?
· They believe any moves to reduce the number of firearms will only create a black market in illegal weapons.· Takatlyan was charged with illegal weapons possession, bribery, entering the country illegally and using false documents.· Martin had an illegal weapon, and committed a shocking crime.· The Guadalajara judge sentenced him to six years in jail on illegal weapons charges.· They direct traffic, investigate thefts and search for illegal weapons at roadblocks.· Found guilty of seditious conspiracy and possession of illegal weapons, they are serving prison terms ranging from 35 to 105 years.· On searching Murray's home, they found three legally held guns as well as the illegal weapons and bomb components.· His critics say he should not sit in government with a party whose military wing holds on to illegal weapons.
WORD FAMILYnounlegality ≠ illegalitylegalizationlegaleseillegaladjectivelegal ≠ illegallegalisticverblegalizeadverblegally ≠ illegally
not allowed by the law SYN unlawful OPP legal: illegal drugs They were involved in illegal activities.it is illegal to do something It is illegal to sell tobacco to someone under 16.RegisterIn everyday English, people often say that something is against the law rather than illegal:· It is against the law to have a gun without a licence.—illegally adverb: They entered the country illegally.—illegality /ˌɪlɪˈɡæləti/ noun [uncountable]COLLOCATIONSadverbscompletely/totally illegal· The deal was completely illegal.highly illegal (=completely illegal)· It all sounds highly illegal.strictly illegal formal (=completely illegal – used for emphasis)· Phone tapping is strictly illegal.technically illegal (=according to the exact details of a law)· This type of boxing, although technically illegal, remained popular until the 1880s.verbsbe illegal· It is illegal to sell tobacco products to anyone under the age of 16.become illegal· The drug did not become illegal until the 1970s.make something illegal· He was involved in the campaign to make hunting illegal.declare something illegal· The strike was declared illegal on July 7.illegal + NOUNan illegal weapon· He was charged with carrying an illegal weapon.illegal drugs· She was found guilty of possession of illegal drugs.an illegal substance (=an illegal drug)· Customs officials found an illegal substance in Smith’s luggage.illegal parking/gambling/hunting etc· The fines for illegal parking are likely to increase.illegal immigrants· An estimated seven million illegal immigrants are brought into Europe each year.illegal activities· They were suspected of being involved in illegal activities.an illegal act· Driving without insurance is an illegal act.illegal use of something· They were found guilty of the illegal use of confidential information.THESAURUSillegal forbidden by law: · It is illegal to sell tobacco to children under 16.· illegal immigrants· He was carrying an illegal weapon.be against the law to be illegal. This phrase is very commonly used in everyday English, instead of saying that something is illegal: · Driving a car without insurance is against the law.· It’s against the law to hit a child.unlawful illegal – a rather formal word, which is used especially when this particular action is considered to be illegal, although there are some situations where such actions can be legal: · The judges said that the strike was unlawful.· The money was obtained by unlawful means.· a verdict of unlawful killingillicit illicit activities or goods are illegal and usually kept secret: · Marijuana remains the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States.· the illicit trade in stolen cattleillegitimate not allowed or acceptable according to rules or agreements: · the illegitimate use of power· The election results were declared to be illegitimate.· illegitimate share tradingunconstitutional not allowed by a country’s constitution (=set of rules and principles by which a country is governed): · The court ruled that the new law was unconstitutional.