Illegal
/ɪˈliːɡl̩/noun
Forbidden by law or not authorized by law.
Did you know?The word entered English through Latin and French, where the prefix in- simply negates legalis, so its power comes from exclusion: to name something illegal is to cast it outside legitimacy.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*leg-
“to collect, gather, speak”
Latin
Latin
lex, legis
“law, statute”
Late Latin
Latin
legalis
“pertaining to the law”
Old French
Old French
illegal
“unlawful, not permitted”
Middle English
English
illegal
“unlawful, contrary to law”
Modern English
English
illegal
“forbidden by law or not authorized by law”
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