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.
You can use the adjective illegal to describe breaking the rules, as when you head-butt someone in a game. Acts that go against the law, such as robbing a bank, are also illegal. There is a wide range of things called illegal, from small acts to big ones, but no matter the seriousness, if it is against the law, it is illegal. This adjective also describes people who enter countries without official government approval, they are called “illegal immigrants” or “illegal aliens.”
Definitions of illegal
(adjective) prohibited by law or by official or accepted rules
Lemmy is such a bizarre place. Honestly, I’m a little surprised I am still having this conversation. But sure!
illegal
[ ih-lee-guhl ]
adjective
forbidden by law or statute. Synonyms: unlicensed, illicit, illegitimate, unlawful
contrary to or forbidden by official rules, regulations, etc.: The referee ruled that it was an illegal forward pass.
-Dictionary.com
The great majority of the definition, comprising a full 64% of the words, talks about meaning 2. So! By your own standards, definition 1 doesn’t count anymore, and I get to complain if you try to use it. How dare you say the word means definition 1, and not definition 2, which is clearly the only real definition and the only one that actually counts. How dare you. How DARE you.
I actually found one, because I was wondering if me and the dictionary were the wrong ones, but I refuse to send it because what I already sent is accurate + sufficient. You can accept or not; it’s up to you.
Yeah, and unless you’re an ultra game nerd, using illegal to refer to breaking the rules is strange. Most people say “against the rules” or “non-permissible”. It’s a small, niche usage of the word.
Illegal specifically means against the law, not just against some private space’s set of rules.
-Merriam-Webster
Using “illegal” when referring to gameplay is already pushing it. It would raise eyebrows. Expanding it to encompass any set of rules is simply wrong.
-Vocabulary.com
You’ll notice the great majority of that definition talks about laws, with one minor exception for games.
Lemmy is such a bizarre place. Honestly, I’m a little surprised I am still having this conversation. But sure!
-Dictionary.com
The great majority of the definition, comprising a full 64% of the words, talks about meaning 2. So! By your own standards, definition 1 doesn’t count anymore, and I get to complain if you try to use it. How dare you say the word means definition 1, and not definition 2, which is clearly the only real definition and the only one that actually counts. How dare you. How DARE you.
I defy you to find a single usage of illegal in contemporary writing that refers to neither laws nor games.
I’m not your citation monkey
I actually found one, because I was wondering if me and the dictionary were the wrong ones, but I refuse to send it because what I already sent is accurate + sufficient. You can accept or not; it’s up to you.
Well I can’t really cite the whole of the English language to prove my point, can I? Trying to prove a negative is very difficult.
No, that’s normal. Illegal moves in chess, illegal actions in Magic or Yugioh, illegal strategies in football.
Yeah, and unless you’re an ultra game nerd, using illegal to refer to breaking the rules is strange. Most people say “against the rules” or “non-permissible”. It’s a small, niche usage of the word.
Sure, just keep denying it, maybe the world will twist to match your notion.
I’m just telling you how native people speak.