Synonyms of illegal
27 similar words · 6 opposite words
Another word for illegal is criminal. Other synonyms of illegal are unlawful, illicit, banned, outlawed and prohibited. The opposite of illegal is legal.
Synonyms and similar words for illegal
adjectiveContrary to, forbidden, or not authorized by law, especially criminal law.
- criminalAgainst the law; forbidden by law.
- felonious
- illicitNot approved by law, but not invalid.
- irregular
- crimefulCriminal; wicked; illegal.
- illegitimateNot in accordance with the law.
- lawbreakingUnlawful; illegal.
- nonlawfulNot lawful; unlawful.
- outlawedPut beyond the limits of the law, forbidden, against the law.
- unlawfulProhibited; not permitted by law (either civil or criminal law; see illegal).
- wrongfulUnlawful or illegal.
adjectiveForbidden by established rules.
- bannedForbidden; not allowed.
- disallowedForbidden.
- forbiddenNot allowed; specifically disallowed.
- impermissibleNot permissible; not to be permitted or allowed.
- interdictedProhibited or forbidden.
- nonallowedNot allowed.
- prohibitedForbidden; banned; unallowed.
- proscribedForbidden or prohibited.
- proscriptForbidden; outlawed.
- unallowedNot allowed; forbidden.
- unpermittedNot permitted; forbidden.
- verboten humorous(Strictly) forbidden or prohibited.
- nonlicet obsolete, rareForbidden; not allowed.
adjectiveTotally fictitious, and often issued on behalf of a non-existent territory or country.
- bogusOf a totally fictitious issue printed for collectors, often issued on behalf of a non-existent territory or country...
adjectiveBeing an illegal immigrant; residing in a country illegally.
nounMore synonyms
- illegal immigrantSomeone who has immigrated into a country by bypassing customs and immigration controls.
Opposite of illegal
adjectiveContrary to, forbidden, or not authorized by law, especially criminal law.
Meaning of illegal
- adjective Contrary to, forbidden, or not authorized by law, especially criminal law.
- adjective Forbidden by established rules.
- adjective Totally fictitious, and often issued on behalf of a non-existent territory or country.
illegal in other languages
Questions about synonyms of illegal
- What is another word for illegal?
- Illegal has 27 synonyms on Word.ws, such as criminal, unlawful, illicit, banned, outlawed, prohibited, forbidden and illegitimate.
- What is the opposite of illegal?
- The opposite of illegal is legal. Other antonyms of illegal are lawful and rightful.
- What does illegal mean?
- Illegal means contrary to, forbidden, or not authorized by law, especially criminal law.
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: illegal (page history and authors) and the entries of the words listed. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws grouped the synonyms and antonyms by meaning and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
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Cite this page: “Synonyms of illegal.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/synonyms/illegal. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.