illegal

/ɪˈliːɡl/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪˈliːɡl/ (ame, ipa) · /(ˌ)i(l)-ˈlē-gəl/ (ame, mw) · /ɪˈliː.ɡəl/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪˈliː.ɡəl/ (ame, ipa)

illegal — adjective

  • illegalpositive
  • more illegalcomparative
  • most illegalsuperlative

1. describing an action, object, or situation that the legal system of a country or

1.形容詞B1
釋義

describing an action, object, or situation that the legal system of a country or region does not allow — for example, selling certain drugs, copying protected content, or entering a country without permission.

例句

The company paid a large fine for making illegal payments to government officials.

collocation: illegal payments

Bilal discovered that downloading music without the creator's permission is illegal in most countries.

predicative: is illegal

同義詞
  • unlawful

    more formal; common in legal documents and court rulings

  • illicit

    adds a moral dimension of social disapproval beyond mere illegality

  • banned

    emphasizes a specific prohibition by an authority; can apply to non-legal rules too

反義詞
  • legal

    permitted by law — the direct opposite

  • lawful

    formal equivalent of legal, common in legal writing

文法句型

illegal + noun

it is illegal to + infinitive

用法筆記

Frequently used before nouns such as 'drugs,' 'activity,' 'immigration,' 'trade,' and 'download.' Distinguish from 'illegible' (cannot be read) and 'illicit' (socially or morally disapproved but not always against the law).

常見錯誤

❌He was arrested for an illegible activity.
✅He was arrested for an illegal activity.
💡'Illegible' means the writing is too unclear to read, not that something is against the law.
❌This drug is illicit but not illegal.
✅This drug is both illicit and illegal.
💡'Illicit' implies moral wrongness; something can be socially disapproved (illicit) yet still legal, but in most cases the two overlap.

2. describing a move, play, or action that goes against the official rulebook of a

2.形容詞B1
釋義

describing a move, play, or action that goes against the official rulebook of a sporting competition — for example, a tackle in football that hits an opponent from behind, or a serve in tennis thrown instead of struck.

例句

The referee stopped the game after Yuki made an illegal tackle from behind.

collocation: illegal tackle

Using both hands to push an opponent while running is illegal in basketball.

predicative: is illegal in [sport]

同義詞
  • against the rules

    everyday language; less formal and not specific to sports

  • forbidden

    stricter tone, implies a clear prohibition with possible penalty

  • not allowed

    simplest plain-English alternative

反義詞
  • legal

    within the rules of the sport

  • allowed

    permitted by the rules

文法句型

illegal + noun (action)

be + illegal + in + sport

用法筆記

Common in team sports (football, basketball, hockey, rugby) and individual sports (tennis, boxing). What counts as illegal varies by sport — always check the specific rulebook. Not used for mere bad sportsmanship that is not in the written rules.

常見錯誤

❌The football player made an unlawful tackle.
✅The football player made an illegal tackle.
💡In sports contexts, 'illegal' is the standard term; 'unlawful' is reserved for the legal system.

illegal — noun