The meaning of ILLEGAL is not according to or authorized by law : contrary to or in violation of a law : unlawful, illicit; also : not sanctioned by official rules (as of a game). not allowed by law: 2. not allowed by the rules of a sport: 3. an offensive word for someone…. Prohibited by official rules: an illegal pass in football. Unacceptable to or not performable by a computer: an illegal operation. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more. Something illegal is against the law or breaks the rules. If you're reading this in jail, you've probably done something illegal, and if you're not in jail, there's plenty of time to obey the law. Illegal immigrants or workers have traveled into a country or are working without official permission. The team was penalized for an illegal play. He claims that he was unaware of the illegality of these activities. She was parked illegally in a handicapped parking spot. Her camera was illegally seized at ….