Definition

Not allowed by law or rules; illegal or forbidden.

Example

The police arrested him for his illicit activities.

Conversation

Did you hear about that party last weekend?

Yeah, I heard it was pretty wild and had some illicit activities going on.

I can't believe people would actually go to something like that.

Right? It’s just not worth the risk of getting in trouble.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Illicit → It is formed from "il-" (meaning not) and "licitus" (from Latin, meaning lawful or permitted). The word "illicit" means not lawful or forbidden by law.

Memory Tip

Think of 'not' ('il-') and 'lawful' ('licitus') to remember that 'illicit' refers to something that is not allowed by law.

Visually Confused Words