illicit
[ɪˈlɪsɪt]
An illicit activity or situation is one that's not allowed by law or rules. It might make people uncomfortable or upset.
Illicit often comes up when talking about crime and law enforcement. For example, if there's a big investigation into money laundering, the authorities might be looking at companies involved in illicit activities like tax evasion or bribery. In news headlines, you might read about illicit substances being seized by police or how a politician got caught up in an illicit scandal. The word is also used to describe something that's not approved of socially, like an illicit romance between two people who shouldn't be together.
How common is "illicit"?
Word illicit is considered uncommon in modern English.
It appears most frequently in academic texts and less often in other writings.
It appears most frequently in academic texts and less often in other writings.
Definitions
noun
A banned or unlawful item.
adjective
Not approved by law, but not invalid.
criminalillegalillegitimateprohibitedunlawful
Real examples of "illicit" in context
