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

This is an easy argument to dismiss because most illicit drugs don't enter the U.S. via people sneaking across the border. —Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 26 Jan. 2025

Yet, the defendants allegedly stole $44 million from the relief pool and chose to spend their illicit gains on jewelry, designer clothing, and luxury cars. —Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes, 25 Jan. 2025

Cops have arrested three of the illicit synagogue celebrants and were looking for the fourth, police said. —Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 24 Jan. 2025

Ching acknowledged that some of the victims, including Ramirez and Umberger, used illicit drugs recreationally on occasion. —Matt Lavietes, NBC News, 22 Jan. 2025

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)