illegal

il·le·gal

Use illegal in a sentence

adjective

The definition of illegal is a person not permitted to be in a country or an act that is against the law.

An example of illegal as an adjective is the phrase an illegal person, who is someone who is still in the United States after their tourist visa has run out.
An example of illegal as an adjective is the phrase an illegal act, which is an act such as armed robbery.

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"illegal." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 13 February 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Illegal>.

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illegal. (n.d.). Retrieved February 13th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Illegal

illegal

prohibited by law; against the law; unlawful; illicit
not authorized or sanctioned, as by rules

Origin of illegal

from French illégal or Medieval Latin illegalis: see in- and legal

an alien who has entered a country illegally: considered an insulting term by some

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MLA Style

"illegal." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 13 February 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Illegal>.

APA Style

illegal. (n.d.). Retrieved February 13th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Illegal

illegal

adjective

Prohibited by law.
Prohibited by official rules: an illegal pass in football.
Unacceptable to or not performable by a computer: an illegal operation.

noun

Offensive

A person who is not legally authorized to live and work in a country.

Related Forms:

il·le′gal·ly
adverb

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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Link to this page

Cite this page

MLA Style

"illegal." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 13 February 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Illegal>.

APA Style

illegal. (n.d.). Retrieved February 13th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Illegal

Adjective

(comparative more illegal, superlative most illegal)

Contrary to or forbidden by law, especially criminal law.
This is illegal, you know!
Forbidden by established rules.
Moving a pawn backward is an illegal move in chess.
(philately, of an issue printed for collectors) Totally fictitious, and often issued on behalf of a non-existent territory or country.
(of a person, sometimes offensive) Being or doing something illegally.
illegal immigrant; illegal logger; illegal pilot
1. (chiefly US, sometimes offensive) Being an illegal immigrant; residing in a country illegally.

Usage notes

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

Noun

(plural illegals)

(colloquial, offensive) An illegal immigrant.
An illegal resident spy.

Usage notes

The use of "illegal" to describe a person rather than an action is often regarded as offensive, and the use of "illegal" as a noun is especially charged.

Origin

From French illégal, from Medieval Latin illegalis. In senses relating to immigration, via clipping from illegal alien or illegal immigrant.

See also: illégal

English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.

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Link to this page

Cite this page

MLA Style

"illegal." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 13 February 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Illegal>.

APA Style

illegal. (n.d.). Retrieved February 13th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Illegal

illegal - Computer Definition

Not valid. Not authorized. See illegal operation.

Computer Desktop Encyclopedia THIS DEFINITION IS FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY All other reproduction is strictly prohibited without permission from the publisher. © 1981-2017 The Computer Language Company Inc. All rights reserved.