Illicit — B1 Vocabulary
Not allowed by law or by rules; forbidden. An adjective — it describes things.
Quick Answer
Illicit means illegal or against the rules. It is an adjective: illicit trade, illicit copies, an illicit deal. Think: iLLicit starts like iLLegal.
Example: Customs officers found illicit goods in the container.
Illicit in 3 Sentences
Read these three sentences. Notice how illicit is used:
- Customs officers found illicit goods in the container. (forbidden, smuggled)
- The market sold illicit copies of famous brands. (against the law)
- They met for an illicit late-night card game. (against the rules)
A Quick Tip About ILLICIT
Illicit sounds exactly like elicit, but they are unrelated. Illicit is an adjective meaning forbidden. Elicit is a verb meaning to draw out a response.
Using the verb “elicit” when you mean “forbidden”
✗ The police seized the elicit cigarettes.
✓ The police seized the illicit cigarettes.
Easy way to remember: iLLicit and iLLegal both start with i-l-l.
Practice all Illicit vs Elicit
Now practise illicit together with the other words in this topic. Use Study, Practice, Flashcards, and Review.
Illicit vs Elicit
Master illicit and elicit — they sound identical, but one describes something forbidden and the other means to draw out a response.
Study Cards
Read the word, look at the picture, and say the example sentence.
Quick Practice
Choose the word that completes the sentence.
1 of 2
Loading question
Flashcards
Look at the picture first, then tap the card to check the word.
Spaced Review
Review cards today, then let the queue bring them back later.
Test Yourself: Illicit
Choose the correct answer for each sentence. Click Check to see if you are right.
1. The police stopped the ______ trade in ivory.
2. What does illicit mean?
3. What type of word is illicit?
4. They were fined for selling ______ copies of the software.
5. Which memory trick works for illicit?
Other Illicit vs Elicit to Learn
Pick another word from this lesson — small steps add up fast.
Keep Going — One Word, Many Wins
You just learned illicit — the forbidden one. News reports about smuggling will never confuse you again.
Now meet its identical twin sound: change two letters and the forbidden adjective becomes a verb teachers use every day — the art of drawing answers out of people. What is it?
Next lesson: Elicit — B1 Vocabulary
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