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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
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.
Rob Wile, NBC news, 18 Sep. 2025
The Cartel of the Suns — allegedly led by the Venezuelan strongman and his second-in-command, Diosdado Cabello — has long been linked to international drug trafficking operations, illicit financial networks and efforts to undermine democratic institutions across Latin America.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 17 Sep. 2025
Investigators traced an online post back to Zinn, leading them to uncover illicit material on his devices.
—Jesus Mesa
gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
Small craft growers—once the heartbeat of Canada’s cannabis culture—were pushed to the margins or into the illicit market.
—Robert Hoban, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for illicit
Cite this Entry
“Illicit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/illicit. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Legal Definition
illicit
adjective
In re Haas, 48 F.3d 1153 (1995)
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