illicit

adjective

il·​lic·​it (ˌ)i(l)-ˈli-sət How to pronounce illicit (audio)
: 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.

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Bark app monitors the network of school district computers and scans for illicit content being downloaded or shared, the charging document reads. Jonathan Limehouse, USA TODAY, 14 Mar. 2025 However, during intake, BOP staff confiscate and discard all medications, citing efforts to prevent the introduction of illicit drugs. Walter Pavlo, Forbes, 13 Mar. 2025 The lawsuit, filed in Denver District Court on Monday by cultivator and manufacturer Mammoth Farms, accuses the division of ignoring companies that are diverting legal weed to illicit markets in other states, and punishing whistleblowers who try to raise concerns. Tiney Ricciardi, The Denver Post, 13 Mar. 2025 According to the government, Avenatti had threatened to publicize allegations about the shoe company making illicit payments to top college basketball recruits. Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 13 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for illicit

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1506, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of illicit was in 1506

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Cite this Entry

“Illicit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/illicit. Accessed 20 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

illicit

adjective
il·​lic·​it (ˈ)il-ˈ(l)is-ət How to pronounce illicit (audio)
: illegal
illicit drug traffic
illicitly adverb

Legal Definition

illicit

adjective
il·​lic·​it il-ˈli-sət How to pronounce illicit (audio)
: not permitted : unlawful
an illicit motive to defeat or evade the taxesIn re Haas, 48 F.3d 1153 (1995)

More from Merriam-Webster on illicit

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