illegality
illegality — noun
- illegalitysingular
- illegalitiesplural
1. the state or quality of being against what the law allows; an action, practice,
the state or quality of being against what the law allows; an action, practice, or situation that breaks the law — for example, the illegality of selling alcohol to children, or a financial illegality uncovered during an audit.
The lawyer explained the illegality of copying software without a licence.
the illegality of [something] — noun complement
Amira was shocked to discover the illegality of the factory's waste disposal methods.
The government created a task force to investigate illegality in the banking sector.
Several illegalities were found in the contract, so the deal was cancelled.
Benjamin argued that the law itself created confusion about the illegality of street trading.
- unlawfulness
more formal and less common in everyday speech; preferred in legal documents
- wrongdoing
broader — covers immoral acts that may not be illegal
- criminality
stronger — suggests serious offences that can lead to prosecution
- legality
the opposite state: being in accordance with the law
- lawfulness
slightly more formal synonym of legality
文法句型
the illegality of something
an illegality (countable)
用法筆記
Frequently uncountable when referring to the abstract state, but can be countable (illegalities) when pointing to specific unlawful acts or clauses.
illegality — adjective
- illegalitypositive
- more illegalitycomparative
- most illegalitysuperlative
1. not allowed by the official laws of a country or region; forbidden by rules that
not allowed by the official laws of a country or region; forbidden by rules that are backed by the government — for example, driving without a licence, selling certain drugs, or entering a building without permission.
It is illegal to drive a car without a valid licence in most countries.
it is illegal to + infinitive
Caleb was arrested for carrying an illegal weapon at the airport.
illegal + noun (weapon, substance, activity)
The new law made it illegal for companies to dump waste into the river.
Yara discovered that downloading movies from that website was illegal.
The court ruled that the search by the police had been illegal.
- unlawful
more formal; used in legal writing and official contexts
- illicit
often describes trade, drugs, or relationships that are secret or forbidden
- prohibited
slightly stronger; suggests a specific ban by an authority
文法句型
it is illegal to + infinitive
illegal + noun
用法筆記
Common in legal and everyday contexts. The opposite is 'legal'. Do not confuse with 'illegality' (a noun) — e.g., 'The illegality of the act' (noun) vs 'The act was illegal' (adjective).