English Reference
Adverb

illegally

adv. manner
B1 Intermediate US /ˌɪˈɫiɡəɫi/ UK /ɪlˈiːɡəli/ il·le·gal·ly

adv.in a way that breaks the law. You use this when someone does something that is not allowed by the government or official rules.

adv.in a manner that contravenes established law or official regulations.


SIMPLE

He was fined for parking his car illegally.

CONTEXTUAL

The company was caught dumping waste illegally into the river and faced a massive fine.

COMPLEX

While the protesters claimed their actions were morally justified, the court ruled that they had entered the private facility illegally and were liable for damages.

Usage

Typically placed after the verb or at the end of the clause; can also precede the past participle in passive constructions.

Pitfall
He was arrested for drive illegallyHe was arrested for driving illegally

When following a preposition like 'for', the action must be a gerund (-ing form), not the base verb.


From illegal + -ly or il- + legally.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level B1 · Intermediate
Frequency Frequent
Updated