illicit

adjective

il·​lic·​it (ˌ)i(l)-ˈli-sət 

: not permitted : unlawful

illicitly adverb

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Illicit and Elicit

Illicit, while not exactly an everyday word, is far more common than its antonym, licit ("not forbidden by law, permissible"). Perhaps this is a function of our oft-noted fascination with bad behavior and boredom with rectitude. In any case, illicit may be used of behavior that is either unlawful or immoral. These categories frequently overlap, but they are not always synonymous, as some unlawful activities (illicit cigarette smoking) may not be considered immoral, while some immoral activities (an illicit affair) are not illegal. Illicit is occasionally confused with elicit because of the similarity in their pronunciations, but the two words have decidedly different meanings and functions: in contemporary English, elicit is a verb meaning "to get (a response, information, etc.) from someone," while illicit appears solely as an adjective.

Synonyms

• criminal
• felonious
• illegal
• illegitimate
• lawless
• unlawful
• wrongful

Examples of illicit in a Sentence

The wedding is mounted in traditional Punjabi style, but underneath the formal fanfare simmer dysfunctional-family tensions, deep dark secrets, … and illicit affairs. —David Ansen, Newsweek, 4 Mar. 2002

"Thank you, Lieutenant," she said, bowing her head, just as she might in everyday, civilian life, and I felt suddenly illicit in her presence, as though we'd slipped out of sight of our chaperons … —Chang-rae Lee, A Gesture Life, 1999

The companies that carry cellular … have adopted a number of monitoring techniques to detect illicit calls … —Paul Wallich, Scientific American, March 1994

He was arrested for selling illicit copies of the software.

She had an illicit affair with her boss.

Recent Examples on the Web

On Tuesday, Vice President Nguema Obiang Mangue ordered new measures to prevent judiciary and ministry officials from engaging in illicit acts at work, a government statement said. —Reuters, NBC News, 6 Nov. 2024

Cases like these — and the slew of illicit shops padlocked by police on the local news — have the potential to alarm Americans who have only just begun to support the notion of legalization, and provide fuel for those who are opposed to it. —Lavanya Ramanathan, Vox, 4 Nov. 2024

His surname is derived from Ar-Ramtha, a city on the northern edge of Jordan which grew prosperous through the illicit transit of goods in and out of the country. —Ed Caesar, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024

On top of the periodic rattle of the transit trains and roar of sports fans, there’s the intrusion of illicit activities that keep him awake. —Jovi Dai, The Mercury News, 2 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin illicitus, from in- + licitus lawful — more at licit

First Known Use

1506, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

illicit

adjective

il·​lic·​it (ˈ)il-ˈ(l)is-ət 

: illegal

illicit drug traffic

illicitly adverb

Legal Definition

illicit

adjective

il·​lic·​it il-ˈli-sət 

: not permitted : unlawful

an illicit motive to defeat or evade the taxes

—In re Haas, 48 F.3d 1153 (1995)