contraband

noun

con·​tra·​band ˈkän-trə-ˌband How to pronounce contraband (audio)
1
: illegal or prohibited traffic in goods : smuggling
… persons the most bound in duty to prevent contrabandEdmund Burke
2
: goods or merchandise whose importation, exportation, or possession is forbidden
Border police searched the car for drugs and other contraband.
also : smuggled goods
3
plural contrabands : an enslaved person who during the American Civil War escaped to or was brought within the Union lines
contraband adjective

Did you know?

Contraband first appeared in English in the early 1500s as a borrowing of Italian contrabbando. This Italian word can be traced to the Medieval Latin word contrabannum, a combination of contra- ("against") and bannum ("decree"). Bannum is Germanic in origin and is related to Old High German bannan ("to command"). Bannan is also related to Middle English bannen ("to summon or to curse"), the source of the English verb ban, which now means "to prohibit" but which once also meant "to curse."

Examples of contraband in a Sentence

The border police searched the car for drugs and other contraband.
Recent Examples on the Web Frank Childress, 24, was arrested and charged with one count of violating a local city ordinance, one count of possession of marijuana and one count of promoting contraband to the first-degree Thursday morning. Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 4 Oct. 2024 In such instances, the risk of contraband entering a prison is minimal; however, the risk associated with postal mail is still a danger. Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 21 Sep. 2024 The necklace and tobacco are prohibited items in the prison and are considered contraband. Christina Hall, Detroit Free Press, 13 Sep. 2024 Old newspaper clippings had been dug out of closets and passed around at recess like contraband, kids studying their class photos. Carly Tagen-Dye, People.com, 4 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for contraband 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'contraband.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French & Italian; Middle French contrebande, borrowed from Italian contrabando (later contrabbando), originally Upper Italian (Venetian) chontrabando (Medieval Latin of Venice contrabannum), from contra- contra- + bando "proclamation, edict, law," borrowed from Gothic bandwo "sign, signal" — more at band entry 3

First Known Use

circa 1540, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of contraband was circa 1540

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Dictionary Entries Near contraband

Cite this Entry

“Contraband.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contraband. Accessed 2 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

contraband

noun
con·​tra·​band ˈkän-trə-ˌband How to pronounce contraband (audio)
1
: goods forbidden by law to be owned or to be brought into or out of a country
2
: smuggled goods
contraband adjective
Etymology

from Italian contrabbando "smuggling," from Latin contrabannum, literally, "against the decree or command," from contra "against" and bannum, bannus "decree"; of Germanic origin

Legal Definition

contraband

noun
con·​tra·​band ˈkän-trə-ˌband How to pronounce contraband (audio)
: property that is unlawfully produced, possessed, or transported
contraband per se
: property that is in and of itself unlawful to possess, produce, or transport
derivative contraband
: property that is unlawful because it is used in committing an unlawful act
Etymology

Italian contrabbando act of smuggling, from contra- against + bando edict, law

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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