Contraband

B2 16+

Pronunciation: /ˈkɑntrəˌbænd/

Definitions of contraband

noun goods that are prohibited or restricted by law from being imported or exported

Example Sentences

A1 The police found contraband in the suspect's bag.

A2 Customs officers seized a shipment of contraband cigarettes.

B1 The prison guards conducted a search for contraband items.

B2 The authorities cracked down on the smuggling of contraband goods.

C1 The international task force was formed to combat the trade of contraband weapons.

C2 The sophisticated smuggling operation was responsible for trafficking contraband across borders.

adjective related to or involved in the illegal trade of prohibited goods

Example Sentences

A1 The police found contraband goods hidden in the truck.

A2 The airport security confiscated the contraband items from the passenger's luggage.

B1 The customs officer discovered contraband cigarettes in the traveler's backpack.

B2 The authorities intercepted a shipment of contraband electronics at the border.

C1 The organized crime syndicate was involved in smuggling contraband across international borders.

C2 The government crackdown on contraband trade led to a significant decrease in illegal imports.

Examples of contraband in a Sentence

formal The customs officials seized a large amount of contraband at the border.

informal I heard that they found some contraband in his car during the search.

slang He always manages to sneak contraband into the prison.

figurative Her secrets were like contraband, hidden away and forbidden to be shared.

Grammatical Forms of contraband

past tense

confiscated

plural

contrabands

comparative

more contraband

superlative

most contraband

present tense

is contraband

future tense

will be contraband

perfect tense

has been contraband

continuous tense

is being contraband

singular

contraband

positive degree

contraband

infinitive

to contraband

gerund

contrabanding

participle

contrabanded

Origin and Evolution of contraband

First Known Use: 1520 year
Language of Origin: Italian
Story behind the word: The word 'contraband' originated from the Italian phrase 'contra bando' which means 'against proclamation'.
Evolution of the word: Originally used in the context of goods prohibited by law from being imported or exported, the term 'contraband' has evolved to also refer to people or objects smuggled illegally across borders.