illicit vs. illegal

illicit

adjective

  1. not legally permitted or authorized; unlicensed; unlawful.

    Synonyms: ,

  2. disapproved of or not permitted for moral or ethical reasons.

illegal

adjective

  1. forbidden by law or statute.

    Synonyms: , , ,

  2. contrary to or forbidden by official rules, regulations, etc.:

    The referee ruled that it was an illegal forward pass.

noun

  1. Informal: Disparaging and Offensive. illegal alien.