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illicit

adjective
il·​lic·​it | \ (ˌ)i(l)-ˈli-sət How to pronounce illicit (audio) \

Definition of illicit

: not permitted : unlawful
Other Words from illicit Synonyms & Antonyms Illicit and Elicit Example Sentences Learn More about illicit

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Other Words from illicit

illicitly adverb

Illicit and Elicit

Illicit, while not exactly an everyday word, is far more common than its antonym, licit ("not forbidden by law, permissible"). Perhaps this is a function of our oft-noted fascination with bad behavior and boredom with rectitude. In any case, illicit may be used of behavior that is either unlawful or immoral. These categories frequently overlap, but they are not always synonymous, as some unlawful activities (illicit cigarette smoking) may not be considered immoral, while some immoral activities (an illicit affair) are not illegal. Illicit is occasionally confused with elicit because of the similarity in their pronunciations, but the two words have decidedly different meanings and functions: in contemporary English, elicit is a verb meaning "to get (a response, information, etc.) from someone," while illicit appears solely as an adjective.

Examples of illicit in a Sentence

The wedding is mounted in traditional Punjabi style, but underneath the formal fanfare simmer dysfunctional-family tensions, deep dark secrets,  … and illicit affairs. — David Ansen, Newsweek, 4 Mar. 2002 "Thank you, Lieutenant," she said, bowing her head, just as she might in everyday, civilian life, and I felt suddenly illicit in her presence, as though we'd slipped out of sight of our chaperons … — Chang-rae Lee, A Gesture Life, 1999 The companies that carry cellular … have adopted a number of monitoring techniques to detect illicit calls … — Paul Wallich, Scientific American, March 1994 He was arrested for selling illicit copies of the software. She had an illicit affair with her boss.
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Recent Examples on the Web

 Critics frequently argue that needle exchanges encourage illicit drug use. — Stephanie Innes, azcentral, "Yavapai county investigating spike in new HIV cases," 30 Aug. 2019 For a start, many drug distributors and pharmacies, mesmerised by growing sales, failed to take action, as they are obliged to, when signs emerged that opioids were being diverted for illicit use. — The Economist, "Legal settlements alone will not solve America’s opioid crisis," 29 Aug. 2019 For years, Epstein was able to operate and be fêted in the social, financial, and academic worlds, despite barely bothering to conceal his illicit activities. — Amy Davidson Sorkin, The New Yorker, "The Failure to See What Jeffrey Epstein Was Doing," 18 Aug. 2019 The elusive former associate of Epstein could face criminal prosecution, and is believed to have valuable information about Epstein's illicit activities. — Fox News, "Jeffrey Epstein's alleged madam, Ghislaine Maxwell photographed at California burger joint: report," 16 Aug. 2019 Attendants who are paid the city’s minimum wage of $16 an hour check after every use and knock on doors to make sure people are not doing drugs or other illicit activity. — Janie Har, The Mercury News, "San Francisco curbs waste with public toilets, ‘poop patrol’," 2 Aug. 2019 There were nine deaths in the first six months of 2019 blamed on fentanyl, four on heroin and one death on other illicit drugs, according to statistics compiled by the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office. — Jon Kelvey, baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll, "In effort to reduce fatal overdoses, Carroll County to deploy strips to test drugs for fentanyl," 6 Aug. 2019 In the years that followed the 2004 agreement, Noga experienced several other conditions including gout flare-ups, ongoing orthopedic issues, chronic pain, sporadic illicit drug abuse, sleep apnea, depression and neurological issues. — Dana Ferguson, Twin Cities, "No workers’ comp for former Vikings lineman Al Noga’s brain injuries, Minnesota Supreme Court rules," 31 July 2019 Investigators found that part of the illicit cash generated by the scheme was delivered to politicians, who used the money to fund political campaigns and for other purposes. — Jeffrey T. Lewis, WSJ, "Brazil Prosecutors Charge Former Trafigura, Petrobras Executives With Corruption," 14 Dec. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'illicit.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of illicit

1506, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for illicit

Latin illicitus, from in- + licitus lawful — more at licit

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More Definitions for illicit

illicit

adjective
How to pronounce illicit (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of illicit

: not allowed by law : unlawful or illegal
: involving activities that are not considered morally acceptable

See the full definition for illicit in the English Language Learners Dictionary

illicit

adjective
il·​lic·​it | \ i-ˈli-sət How to pronounce illicit (audio) \

Kids Definition of illicit

: not permitted : unlawful

illicit

adjective
il·​lic·​it | \ il-ˈli-sət How to pronounce illicit (audio) \

Legal Definition of illicit

: not permitted : unlawful an illicit motive to defeat or evade the taxes — In re Haas, 48 F.3d 1153 (1995)

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