English

Adjective

illegal ‎(comparative more illegal, superlative most illegal)

1. Contrary to or forbidden by law, especially criminal law.
   • 2013 July 19, Peter Wilby, “Finland spreads word on schools”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 6, page 30:

     Imagine a country where children do nothing but play until they start compulsory schooling at age seven. Then, without exception, they attend comprehensives until the age of 16. Charging school fees is illegal, and so is sorting pupils into ability groups by streaming or setting.

   This is illegal, you know!‎

2. Forbidden by established 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 a person, sometimes offensive) Being or doing something illegally.

   illegal immigrant;  illegal logger;  illegal pilot‎

5. (chiefly US, sometimes offensive) Being an illegal immigrant; residing in a country illegally.

Usage notes

The use of "illegal" to describe a person rather than an action is often regarded as offensive; see below.^[1]

Synonyms

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

Antonyms

• (forbidden by law): lawful, legal

Derived terms

• illegal alien
• illegal immigrant

Translations

Noun

illegal ‎(plural illegals)

1. (colloquial, offensive) An illegal immigrant.
2. An illegal resident spy.
   • 2012, Christopher Andrew, ‘Colder War’, Literary Review, issue 399:

     Anna Chapman, whose glamorous appearance won her more publicity in the Western media than all the other illegals combined, was so successfully deceived by a US sting operation that she handed over her SVR laptop to an FBI agent posing as a Russian.

Usage notes

• The use of "illegal" to describe a person, rather than an action a person has undertaken, is often regarded as offensive.^[2][3][4] The use of "illegal" as a noun is especially charged.^[1]

Translations

References

1. 1 2 https://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/04/03-5
2. ↑ Charles Garcia (2012-07-05) Special to CNN, CNN: “When you label someone an "illegal alien" or "illegal immigrant" or just plain "illegal," you are effectively saying the individual, as opposed to the actions the person has taken, is unlawful. The terms imply the very existence of an unauthorized migrant in America is criminal. In this country, there is still a presumption of innocence that requires a jury to convict someone of a crime. If you don't pay your taxes, are you an illegal? What if you get a speeding ticket? A murder conviction? No. You're still not an illegal. Even alleged terrorists and child molesters aren't labeled illegals.”
3. ↑ Jacob Chamberlain (2013-04-13), “AP Finally Agrees: “No Human Being is Illegal””, in Common Dreams
4. ↑ Steve Padilla and Selene Rivera (2016-04-03), “Library of Congress to stop using term 'illegal alien'”, in Los Angeles Times

Asturian

Adjective

illegal (epicene, plural illegales)

1. illegal

Antonyms

• llegal

Danish

Adjective

illegal

1. illegal

Inflection

Synonyms

• ulovlig, forbudt

German

Pronunciation

Adjective

illegal ‎(not comparable)

1. illegal

Synonyms

• strafbar, ungesetzlich

Declension

Portuguese

Adjective

illegal ‎(plural illegaes, comparable)

1. Obsolete spelling of ilegal