Illegal
Illegal adjective - Contrary to or forbidden by law.
Usage example: it is illegal to import those birds into this country
Illicit is a synonym for illegal in unlawful topic. In some cases you can use "Illicit" instead the word "Illegal" as an adjective or an adverb, when it comes to topics like law, illegitimate, prohibited, contraband. popular alternative
Nearby Words: illegality, illegally
Illicit
Illicit adjective - Contrary to or forbidden by law.
Usage example: had a long history of using illicit drugs
Illegal is a synonym for illicit in law topic. You can use "Illegal" instead the word "Illicit" as an adjective or an adverb or a noun, if it concerns topics such as illegitimate, unlawful, prohibited, forbidden. popular alternative
Nearby Word: illicitly
Mutual synonyms
Related pairs
Cite this Source
Illicit and Illegal. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 15, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/illegal/illicit
Illegal & Illicit. N.p., 2016. Web. 15 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/illegal/illicit>.
Illicit or Illegal. 2016. Accessed August 15, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/illegal/illicit.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "illegal" and "illicit" have occurred on timeline