Illegalとは 意味・読み方・使い方

発音

• (英国発音) IPA: /ɪˈliːɡəl/
• (米国発音) enPR: ĭ.lē'gəl, IPA: /ɪˈli.ɡəl/, [ɪɫˈli.ɡəɫ]
• (Indic) IPA: /ɪlliːɡəl/
• 韻: -iːɡəl
• ハイフネーション: il‧le‧gal

形容詞

illegal (comparative more illegal, superlative most illegal)

1. Contrary to, forbidden, or not authorized by law, especially criminal law.

   Synonyms: criminal, felonious, illicit, irregular; see also Thesaurus:unlawful

   Antonyms: lawful, legal; see also Thesaurus:lawful

   This is illegal, you know!

   Nearly 40 million people live in UK areas with illegal air pollution

   Their illegal mining operations in Asia, Africa and elsewhere, are protected by officials and police paid to look the other way – and powerful customers in the construction industry who prefer not to ask too many questions.

   • a. 1654, John Selden, “Money”, in Table-Talk, 3rd edition, London: Jacob Tonson, published 1716, page 74:

     In all times the Princes in England have done ſomething illegal to get Money: But then came a Parliament and all was well, the People and the Prince kiſt and were Friends, and ſo things were quiet for a while.

   • 2013 July 19, Peter Wilby, “Finland spreads word on schools”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 6, page 30:

     Imagine a country where children do nothing but play until they start compulsory schooling at age seven. Then, without exception, they attend comprehensives until the age of 16. Charging school fees is illegal, and so is sorting pupils into ability groups by streaming or setting.

   • 2025 July 24, Ned Temko, “In Japan, too, voters want their country to be ‘great again’”, in The Christian Science Monitor‎, archived from the original on 27 July 2025:

     Major parties have long relied on large-scale campaign contributions, and the LDP was only recently mired in an illegal fundraising scandal. Sanseito drew its support from smaller, individual donations.

2. Forbidden by established rules.

   Synonyms: banned, disallowed; see also Thesaurus:forbidden

   Moving a pawn backward is an illegal move in chess.

   The computer program performed an illegal operation and was terminated.

3. (philately, of an issue printed for collectors) Totally fictitious, and often issued on behalf of a non-existent territory or country.

   Synonym: bogus

4. (of a person, sometimes offensive) Being or doing something illegally.

   illegal immigrant

   illegal logger

   illegal pilot

5. (chiefly US, sometimes offensive) Being an illegal immigrant; residing in a country illegally. (Can we add an example for this sense?)

   Synonym: undocumented

使用する際の注意点

According to Black's Law Dictionary (2nd edition), "illegal" may mean only that something lacks authority of the law or support from law (that is, that it's not legal), not that it's against the law, but that in ordinary usage it means a violation of the law. The "law" however may be a common-law principle rather than a statute.

The use of "illegal" to describe a person rather than an action is often regarded as offensive; see below.

派生語

名詞

illegal (plural illegals)

1. (obsolete) An illegal act or technique.
   • c. 1650, John Spalding, The History of the Troubles and Memorable Transactions in Scotland, from the Year 1624 to 1645, volume II, Aberdeen: T. Evans, published 1792, pages 72–73:

     That whatſoever illegals hath been uſed againſt his friends and ſubjects, by impriſoning them without law, or impoſing fines upon their eſtates, be diſclaimed, and that perſons ſo committed be forthwith diſcharged.

2. (colloquial, in the plural, as illegals) Contraband, esp. illegal substances such as drugs.
   • 2004, “Reapercussions”, in Dead Like Me, season 1, episode 4, spoken by Mason (Callum Blue):

     …I've got illegals in my bottom…!

   • 2008, J. D. Robb [pseudonym; Nora Roberts], Strangers in Death, Penguin, →ISBN:

     “Here’s what I could do,” Eve supposed. “I could slap your head against that wall, while I’m kicking your balls into your belly,” she added to the companion. “And after that, I can have you in restraints while I turn out your pockets. You’re carrying illegals.

3. (colloquial, offensive) An illegal immigrant.
   • 2024 August 1, Josh Halliday, Neha Gohil, “Police in England urged to protect mosques as far right plans more rallies”, in the Guardian‎:

     In Manchester and in Aldershot in Hampshire, asylum seeker accommodation was targeted by demonstrators carrying placards that read “deport them, don’t support them” and “no apartments for illegals”.

4. (espionage) A spy operating abroad illegally and under non-official cover, without visible ties to his or her country’s authorities.
   • 2012, Christopher Andrew, ‘Colder War’, Literary Review, number 399:

     Anna Chapman, whose glamorous appearance won her more publicity in the Western media than all the other illegals combined, was so successfully deceived by a US sting operation that she handed over her SVR laptop to an FBI agent posing as a Russian.

   • 2022 August 26, Shaun Walker, “Socialite who charmed Nato staff in Naples was Russian spy, say investigators”, in The Guardian‎:

     Traditionally, illegals have been extremely hard for counterintelligence agencies to find, but in a world of biometric data, facial recognition software and open source investigation possibilities, it has become harder for Russia to keep its illegals below the radar.

使用する際の注意点

• The use of "illegal" to describe a person, rather than an action a person has undertaken, is regarded by some as offensive. The use of "illegal" as a noun is especially charged.

同意語

• (illegal immigrant) crimmigrant, illegal immigrant

参照

アナグラム

• gill-ale