contraband
3
7.7
- adjective
- /ˈkɒntrəˌbænd/
- NSFW
:
de contrabando
- Concealed foodstuffs, that's contraband.
- contraband cigarettes
- contraband alcohol
- contraband goods
Examples
-
For certain individuals, then, and in certain places, firearms are contraband.
Academic text (2017) -
You will leave your main lock unsecured to facilitate a contraband search.
Fiction book (1991) -
But the cargo is contraband.
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Cigarettes are contraband.
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That's a contraband item, ma'am, as it is illegal in every state, except Texas.
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In the mid-1950s, in fact, the import of many contraband consumer goods was institutionalized.
Academic text (1992) -
If it's contraband and he's a trembler, Italian customs will nail him.
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The authorities seized a shipment of contraband goods that were being smuggled across the border.
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Smuggling contraband items can lead to serious legal consequences for individuals caught in the act.
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At the airport, security officials are trained to identify contraband in luggage during inspections.
Synonyms
66
6.3
Not allowed by law or social rules
6
4.8
Sold or traded secretly because it is against the law
1
7.2
Sold illegally without official permission
Illegally brought into a country to avoid taxes or rules
Antonyms
How Legal
Surface Forms
Etymology
Contraband as an adjective comes from the same idea: contra- 'against' plus the idea of a ban 'an official order'. So when goods are called contraband, they are 'against the ban', meaning they are illegal to sell, carry, or trade.