Illegal

Pronunciation: /ɪˈliːɡəl/

Definitions of illegal

adjective contrary to or forbidden by law, especially criminal law

Example Sentences

A1 It is illegal to drive without a license.

A2 Jaywalking is considered illegal in many cities.

B1 Downloading copyrighted material without permission is illegal.

B2 Tax evasion is a serious illegal activity that can result in severe penalties.

C1 Money laundering is a complex illegal practice that involves disguising the origins of money obtained through illegal means.

C2 Insider trading is an illegal practice that involves trading stocks based on non-public information.

Examples of illegal in a Sentence

formal Engaging in illegal activities can result in severe consequences.

informal You shouldn't do anything illegal if you want to stay out of trouble.

slang Dude, selling those things is totally illegal!

figurative Breaking the rules like that is like playing with fire, it's just asking for trouble.

Grammatical Forms of illegal

• past tense: illegally
• plural: illegals
• comparative: more illegal
• superlative: most illegal
• present tense: illegal
• future tense: will be illegal
• perfect tense: has been illegal
• continuous tense: is being illegal
• singular: illegal
• positive degree: illegal
• infinitive: to illegal
• gerund: illegaling
• participle: illegalized

Origin and Evolution of illegal

First Known Use: 1611 year

Language of Origin: Latin

Story behind the word: The word 'illegal' originated from the Latin word 'illegalis', which is derived from 'in-' meaning 'not' and 'legalis' meaning 'legal'.

Evolution of the word: The word 'illegal' has maintained its basic meaning of not being in accordance with the law since its first known use in 1611. However, its usage has expanded to cover a wide range of activities that are prohibited by law, not just limited to criminal acts.