• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Home of English Grammar
  • Home
  • Course
  • Exercises
  • Grammar Rules
  • Matches
  • Posts
  • Tools
    • Grammar Checker
    • Very Replacer
    • Word Counter
  • Vocabulary Lists
  • Archives
    • Social Media Posts
    • Writing Guides
  • Sign in
  • Join free

100 Other Words for “Illegal”

May 6, 2026

100 Other Words for

No. Term Definition
1. actionable giving grounds for legal action
2. against the law not permitted by law
3. anarchic without law or order
4. backdoor done through illicit channels
5. banned officially not allowed
6. barred officially excluded or forbidden
7. behind the scenes not openly acknowledged
8. beyond the law outside legal control
9. black-market involving illegal trade
10. blacklisted officially barred
11. bootleg made or sold illegally
12. bootlegged made or sold illegally
13. clandestine secret, often illegal
14. contraband goods illegally imported or traded
15. contrary to law against legal rules
16. corrupt involving bribery or wrongdoing
17. counterfeit made illegally to deceive
18. covert hidden from view
19. criminal involving or constituting a crime
20. criminally in a criminal manner
21. crooked dishonest or illegal
22. deceptive intended to mislead
23. disallowed not permitted
24. dishonest not truthful or lawful
25. dodgy likely dishonest or illegal
26. felonious involving a felony
27. feloniously in a felony manner
28. forbidden not permitted
29. forged made fraudulently
30. fraudulent involving deception for gain
31. furtive secretive and suspicious
32. illegitimate not authorized or lawful
33. illicit forbidden by law or rules
34. impermissible not allowed
35. in breach breaking a law or duty
36. in contravention against a law or rule
37. in violation breaking a rule or law
38. inadmissible not allowed under rules
39. indictable serious enough for indictment
40. infringing violating a right or law
41. interdicted officially prohibited
42. invalid not legally valid
43. lawbreaking in violation of the law
44. lawless without regard for law
45. maverick not following rules
46. misdemeanant involving a misdemeanor
47. noncompliant not following rules or law
48. not allowed forbidden or prohibited
49. not permitted not allowed by rules
50. null legally having no effect
51. off-limits not allowed or permitted
52. off-the-books not officially recorded
53. on the black market through illegal trade
54. out of bounds beyond permitted limits
55. out of compliance not meeting legal requirements
56. outlaw declared illegal
57. outlawed made illegal by law
58. outside the law not governed by law
59. pirated copied illegally
60. prohibited formally forbidden
61. prohibitedly in a forbidden way
62. proscribed formally forbidden
63. punishable subject to legal penalty
64. regulated controlled by law or rules
65. renegade operating outside authority
66. restricted limited by rules or law
67. rogue operating outside rules
68. sanctioned against subject to legal restrictions
69. shady suspiciously unlawful
70. smuggled brought in illegally
71. sneaky secretive and improper
72. stolen taken unlawfully
73. surreptitious done secretly
74. taboo socially forbidden
75. trafficked traded illegally
76. trespassing entering without permission
77. trespassory involving unlawful entry
78. unaccredited lacking official recognition
79. unapproved not officially accepted
80. unauthorised without official permission
81. unauthorized without official permission
82. unendorsed not officially supported
83. unlawful against the law
84. unlicensed without a required license
85. unpermitted not permitted
86. unratified not formally approved
87. unregistered not officially recorded
88. unsanctioned not officially approved
89. unvalidated not officially confirmed
90. verboten forbidden
91. void having no legal force
92. voidable able to be declared invalid
93. without a permit lacking required permit
94. without authority lacking official power
95. without consent done without agreement
96. without legal basis lacking legal justification
97. without license lacking required license
98. without permission not permitted
99. wrongful unjust or unlawful
100. wrongfully in an unlawful way

Improve your English grammar, vocabulary and writing

We take you step by step from beginner to advanced, even if you struggled with English at school or have always had trouble remembering the rules.

  • 10 modules, 112 lessons and 730 questions
  • Just log in and learn anytime and anywhere
  • Your progress is saved in your account
  • Download the 2027 Grammar Guide (PDF)
Join free

Already have an account? Sign in

See what’s in the course

Primary Sidebar

2.4M760.9K165.9K

Free 2027 Grammar Guide

  • Download Grammar Guide (PDF)
  • Online grammar course, A1 to C2
  • Weekly exercises and vocabulary
  • Join over 3 million English learners

We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe anytime.

Already have an account? Sign in

Grammar Checker - Try Now

Matches Rankings

    No results yet. Be the first to finish today’s Daily.

      No results yet. Be the first to finish today’s Daily.

        No results yet. Be the first to finish today’s Daily.

          No results yet. Be the first to finish today’s Daily.

          Play Matches

          Latest Posts

          • 100 Best Synonyms for “Revolting” November 4, 2026
          • 100 Best Synonyms for “Infrastructure” November 4, 2026
          • Persuasive, convincing, cogent, compelling, conclusive and irrefutable: How to choose November 4, 2026
          • Defining and Non-Defining Relative Clauses Exercise November 4, 2026
          • 100 Best Synonyms for “Warm” November 4, 2026
          • Passive Voice Exercise November 4, 2026
          • 100 Best Synonyms for “Informative” November 4, 2026
          • 100 Best Synonyms for “Revel” November 4, 2026
          • 100 Best Synonyms for “Issues” November 4, 2026
          • Apparent vs. evident: seeming or clear? November 4, 2026
          Home of English Grammar

          Free English grammar exercises, rules and vocabulary lists, with new exercises every week. Join the leading English grammar site with over 3 million followers.

          Join free

          Learn

          • Exercises
          • Matches
          • Grammar rules
          • Vocabulary lists
          • Writing guides
          • Online tools

          More

          • Top social media posts
          • Various posts
          • Contact

          Account

          • Join free
          • Grammar Course
          • Free grammar guide (PDF)

          Copyright © 2026 EnglishGrammar.org

          • Disclaimer
          • Privacy policy
          • Terms
          • Sitemap