ENGLISH
REFERENCE

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.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Origin

From illegal + -ly or il- + legally.

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

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