illegitimate enterprise
- noun
- /ˌɪlɪˈdʒɪtɪmət ˈɛntərpraɪz/
- NSFW
:
empresa ilegítima
- The authorities shut down the illegitimate enterprise that was trafficking counterfeit goods.
Examples
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Many illegitimate enterprises thrive in areas with weak law enforcement.
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The police shut down an illegitimate enterprise operating in the city.
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He made his fortune managing an illegitimate enterprise involved in money laundering.
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Investigators spent months gathering evidence against the illegitimate enterprise operating throughout the city.
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Investigators spent months gathering evidence against the illegitimate enterprise operating throughout the city.
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The authorities shut down the illegitimate enterprise that was trafficking counterfeit goods.
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He made his fortune managing an illegitimate enterprise involved in money laundering.
Synonyms
46
7.8
An illegal business that makes money by scams or threats
1
6.3
An illegal plan to get money by tricking people
How Legal
11
5.3
- Informal
4
5.6
- NSFW
8
4.5
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase combines 'illegitimate' (unlawful) with 'enterprise' (a business/organization), so its meaning — a business operation that is illegal — is directly derivable from the constituents. This compositional pattern is common across languages and follows standard noun phrase modification, making it readily understandable to a B1 learner who knows both words.
Etymology
The phrase illegitimate enterprise comes from two simple ideas: illegitimate ('not allowed by law') and enterprise ('a business project'). Imagine a company that looks normal but works in the shadows with secret deals and fake books, so the phrase means 'a business that breaks the law'.