Illegal vs. Illicit

Illegal vs. Illicit — Is There a Difference?
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Difference Between Illegal and Illicit

Illegaladjective

Contrary to or forbidden by law, especially criminal law.

This is illegal, you know!Nearly 40 million people live in UK areas with illegal air pollutiontheir illegal mining operations in Asia, Africa and elsewhere, are protected by officials and police paid to look the other way – and powerful customers in the construction industry who prefer not to ask too many questions.

Illicitadjective

(legal) Not approved by law, but not invalid.

The bigamous marriage, while illicit, was not invalid.

Illegaladjective

Forbidden by established rules.

Moving a pawn backward is an illegal move in chess.

Illicitadjective

Breaking social norms.

Illegaladjective

Totally fictitious, and often issued on behalf of a non-existent territory or country.

Illicitadjective

Unlawful.

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Illegaladjective

Being or doing something illegally.

illegal immigrant;illegal logger;illegal pilot

Illicitnoun

A banned or unlawful item.

Illegaladjective

Being an illegal immigrant; residing in a country illegally.

Illicitadjective

contrary to accepted morality (especially sexual morality) or convention;

an illicit association with his secretary

Illegalnoun

(obsolete) An illegal act or technique.

Illicitadjective

contrary to or forbidden by law;

an illegitimate seizure of powerillicit tradean outlaw strikeunlawful measures
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Illegalnoun

Contraband, esp. illegal substances such as drugs.

Illegalnoun

An illegal immigrant.

Illegalnoun

(espionage) A spy working abroad illegally and undercover, without visible ties to his or her country’s authorities.

Illegaladjective

prohibited by law or by official or accepted rules;

an illegal chess move