illicit
/ɪˈlɪsɪt
/adjective
Forbidden by law, rules, or custom: illicit drugs illicit sex...
- Drugs are illegal and illicit because they do incredible harm and no good whatsoever.
- There is a history of illicit drug use while in hospital which had some associations with the symptoms of his illness.
- Pubs, clubs and people's homes were still the most common places for bootleggers to sell illicit goods.
Synonyms
illegal, unlawful, illegitimate, against the law;
outlawed, banned, forbidden, prohibited, interdicted, proscribed, not allowed, not permitted;
criminal, lawbreaking, actionable, felonious;
unlicensed, unauthorized, unsanctioned, unwarranted, unofficial;
contraband, black-market, under the counter, bootleg;
Law malfeasant;
German verboten
rare non licet
taboo, forbidden, ruled out, impermissible, not acceptable, unacceptable, against the rules;
secret, clandestine, furtive, sly;
German verboten;
Islam haram;
New Zealand tapu
Usage
On the distinctions between illicit, illegal, and unlawful, see illegal (usage).
Derivatives
illicitly
/ adverb ...- The United States emerged as the world's industrial leader by illicitly appropriating mechanical and scientific innovations from Europe.
- Their evidence was very strong as to the suspicious movement of what in general may have looked like illicitly obtained money.
- She remained there illicitly for some months before managing to leave China so as to make her way to this country.
illicitness
- How strong was your sense of its illicitness, the illicitness of this love?
- We're getting a kick from the illicitness, the donning of scarf and dark glasses and sneaking off for a day's shopping.
- While Sam seems to enjoy the illicitness of his desire for Marion, his feelings are not truly transgressive.
Origin
Early 16th century: from French, or from Latin illicitus, from in- 'not' + licitus (see licit).