illegal

See also illégal, and il·legal

English

Etymology

From il- (an assimilated version of in-) + legal. In senses relating to immigration, via clipping from illegal alien or illegal immigrant.

Pronunciation

• enPR: ĭ.lēʹgl

  Rhymes: -iːɡəl

Adjective

illegal (comparative more illegal, superlative most illegal)

1. (law) Contrary to or forbidden by law, especially criminal law.
2. Not permitted by rules

   Moving a pawn backward is an illegal move in chess.

3. (philately, of an issue printed for collectors) Totally fictitious, and often issued on behalf of a non-existent territory or country.
4. (of an immigrant) Being an illegal immigrant; residing in a country illegally.

Synonyms

• (forbidden by law): criminal, felonious, illicit, unlawful
• (totally fictitious): bogus

Antonyms

• (forbidden by law): lawful, legal

Derived terms

• illegal alien
• illegal immigrant

Translations

contrary to or forbidden by law

Catalan: il·legal (ca) Chinese: Mandarin: 非法 (cmn) (fēifǎ), 不合法 (cmn) (bùhéfǎ) Czech: ilegální (cs) Dutch: strafbaar (nl), illegaal (nl), onwettig (nl) Finnish: laiton (fi) French: illégal (fr) German: illegal (de) Greek: παράνομος (el) (paránomos), έκνομος (el) (éknomos), άνομος (el) (ánomos)

Japanese: 不法の (ja) (fuhō no), 非合法の (ja) (higōhō no) Kurdish: neqanûnî (ku), qedexe (ku), memnûh (ku), yasax (ku), qaçax (ku), derqanûn (ku) Macedonian: незаконски (mk) (nezákonski) m., незаконит (mk) (nezákonit) m., противзаконски (mk) (protivzákonski) m., нелегален (mk) (nelégalen) m., илегален (mk) (ílegalen) m. Romanian: ilegal (ro), nelegal (ro) m. and n. Russian: незаконный (ru) (n'ezakónnyj), нелегальный (ru) (n'el'egál'nyj) Spanish: ilegal (es) Turkish: yasa dışı (tr)

not permitted by rules

Catalan: il·legal (ca) Finnish: sääntöjen vastainen (fi) Greek: παράνομος (el) (paránomos), απαγορευμένος (el) (apagorevménos) Kurdish: qedexe (ku), memnûh (ku) Macedonian: недозволен (mk) (nedózvolen) m., неправилен (mk) (neprávilen) m.

Mandarin: 非法 (cmn) Romanian: ilegal (ro) Russian: неправильный (ru) (n'eprávil'nyj), неверный (ru) (n'ev'érnyj)

Noun

illegal (plural illegals)

1. (colloquial, derogatory) An illegal immigrant.

Translations

illegal immigrant

Dutch: illegaal (nl) m. and f. Finnish: laiton maahanmuuttaja (fi) Greek: λαθρομετανάστης (el) (lathrometanástis) m.

Russian: нелегал (ru) (n'el'egál) m. Swahili: haramu (sw)

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German

Adjective

illegal (not comparable)

1. illegal

Synonyms

• strafbar, ungesetzlich