under-the-counter
7.9
Sold or done secretly to avoid the law
- adjective
- /ˌʌndər ðə ˈkaʊntər/
:
de contrabando
- Dealers often sell under-the-counter items to evade sales taxes.
Examples
-
The cafe offered under-the-counter alcohol to customers who didn't want to stand in line.
-
Did you see that shotgun under the counter earlier today?
-
Many people buy under-the-counter prescriptions without a doctor's approval to avoid high costs.
Synonyms
15
7.1
People keep money or wages off official records to avoid taxes and other rules
highlights secret sales to break legal restrictions rather than merely missing records
under-the-table
vsunder-the-counter
9
7.5
Done secretly to hide payments and avoid the law
focuses specifically on illegal actions to evade legal rules
under the counter
vsunder-the-counter
1
7.4
To sell things secretly when this is not allowed
is the identical sense but written differently with spacing or hyphens
1
6.3
A place where goods are sold without manufacturer permission, often cheaper and without warranty
focuses on illegal secret dealing rather than only unauthorized resale routes
Antonyms
How Illicit
Surface Forms
under-the-counter positive
Morphology
Etymology
Under-the-counter comes from the idea of hiding goods under the shop counter, that is 'out of sight' from customers or officials. That's why it now means secret or illegal sales done to avoid rules or taxes.