unlawful vs illegal vs illicit
Definitions
adjective
- having no legally established claim
- not morally right or permissible
- not conforming to legality, moral law, or social convention
- contrary to or forbidden by law
- contrary to or prohibited by or defiant of law
Examples
by lawful/legal means. Lawful tends to be used in technical or literary contexts. The same is true of the opposites, unlawful and illegal, but illegal is used especially about criminal activities. Legal also means 'connected with the law':the US legal system.
The police had a good defence to the claims in false imprisonment and unlawful detention.
Courts may punish the unlawful party indirectly by refusing to protect the void civil-law acts.
Definitions
adjective
- prohibited by law or by official or accepted rules
Examples
As the increase of THC is pumped into the bloodstream, there are no measurable tools to indicate the level of what might be considered an intoxicated level for marijuana, and any classification of such a level [one toke] could be considered illegal and on par with alcohol?
The Canadian police doubted he was a genuine amnesiac and held him on suspicion of being an illegal immigrant.
by lawful/legal means. Lawful tends to be used in technical or literary contexts. The same is true of the opposites, unlawful and illegal, but illegal is used especially about criminal activities. Legal also means 'connected with the law':the US legal system.
Definitions
adjective
- contrary to accepted morality (especially sexual morality) or convention
- contrary to or forbidden by law
Examples
Haha. btw, if I have illicit sexual intercourse with any malay, it is not me who will be subjected to "hudud" for eg.
He was brutally punished for his role in making an illicit radio receiver.
In addition to marijuana, cocaine, and crack cocaine, the illicit drugs reported in the survey included hallucinogens, heroin, inhalants, and psychotropics.
