illegal

English Online Dictionary. What means illegal‎? What does illegal mean?

English

Etymology

Borrowed from French illégal, from Medieval Latin illegalis, from Latin legalis, by surface analysis, il- +‎ legal. In senses relating to immigration, via clipping from illegal alien or illegal immigrant.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ɪˈliːɡəl/
• (US) enPR: ĭ.lē'gəl, IPA^(key): /ɪˈli.ɡəl/, [ɪɫˈli.ɡəɫ]
• Rhymes: -iːɡəl
• Hyphenation: il‧le‧gal

Adjective

illegal (comparative more illegal, superlative most illegal)

1. Not authorized by law.
2. Contrary to or forbidden by law, especially criminal law.
3. Breaching certain enacted statutes of positive law; not lawful, not legal (cf. immoral, unethical)
4. Forbidden by established rules.

   Synonym: unethical

5. (philately, of an issue printed for collectors) Totally fictitious, and often issued on behalf of a non-existent territory or country.
6. (of a person, sometimes offensive) Being or doing something illegally.

7. (chiefly US, sometimes offensive) Being an illegal immigrant; residing in a country illegally.
8. (computing) Describing a programming operation that is not allowed by the operating system.

Usage notes

According to Black's Law Dictionary (2nd edition), "illegal" may mean only that something lacks authority of the law or support from law (that is, that it's not legal), not that it's against the law, but that in ordinary usage it means a violation of the law. The "law" however may be a common-law principle rather than a statute.

The use of "illegal" to describe a person rather than an action is often regarded as offensive; see below.

Synonyms

• (forbidden by law): criminal, felonious, illicit, unlawful, irregular
• (totally fictitious): bogus
• (being an illegal immigrant): undocumented

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of "forbidden by law"): lawful, legal

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

illegal (plural illegals)

1. (obsolete) An illegal act or technique.
2. (colloquial, in the plural, as illegals) Contraband, esp. illegal substances such as drugs.
3. (colloquial, offensive) An illegal immigrant.
4. (espionage) A spy working abroad illegally and undercover, without visible ties to his or her country’s authorities.

Usage notes

• The use of "illegal" to describe a person, rather than an action a person has undertaken, is regarded by some as offensive. The use of "illegal" as a noun is especially charged.

Synonyms

• (illegal immigrant) crimmigrant, illegal immigrant

Translations

References

Anagrams

• gill-ale

Asturian

Etymology

Borrowed from Medieval Latin illēgālis, from Latin lēgālis corresponding to i- +‎ llegal.

Adjective

illegal (epicene, plural illegales)

1. illegal

Antonyms

• llegal

Danish

Etymology

Borrowed from Medieval Latin illegalis.

Adjective

illegal

1. illegal

Inflection

Synonyms

• ulovlig, forbudt

German

Etymology

Borrowed from Medieval Latin illegalis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɪleɡaːl/

Adjective

illegal (strong nominative masculine singular illegaler, not comparable)

1. illegal

   Synonyms: gesetzwidrig, strafbar, ungesetzlich

Declension

Derived terms

• Illegaler (“illegal / illegal immigrant”), Illegale (“illegal / illegal immigrant (female)”)
• Illegalität

Further reading

• “illegal” in Duden online
• “illegal” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

Occitan

Pronunciation

Adjective

illegal m (feminine singular illegala, masculine plural illegals, feminine plural illegalas)

1. illegal

   Antonym: legal

Derived terms

• illegalament
• illegalizar

Portuguese

Adjective

illegal m or f (plural illegaes)

1. Obsolete spelling of ilegal

Swedish

Etymology

Borrowed from French illégal, from Medieval Latin illēgālis.

Pronunciation

Adjective

illegal (comparative mer illegal, superlative mest illegal)

1. illegal

   Synonym: olaglig

   Antonym: legal

Declension

Related terms

• illegalitet

See also

• olovlig
• illegitim

Further reading

• illegal in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• illegal in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• illegal in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)