Illégale

Illégale is the feminine form of the French adjective illégal, meaning illegal or unlawful. It is used to describe actions, activities, statuses, or objects that contravene laws or regulations. The masculine form is illégal, and the adjectives agree with the gender and number of the noun they modify (illégale/illégales vs. illégal/illégaux).

Etymology and form: illégal comes from the Latin illegalis, through Old French, with the modern accent marks indicating pronunciation in French. The corresponding noun for the concept is l’illégalité, meaning illegality, which denotes the state or condition of being illegal.

Usage and context: Illégale is encountered in legal, regulatory, and journalistic language. Examples include une activité illégale (an illegal activity), un commerce illégal (an illegal business), or une importation illégale (an illegal import). Because legality depends on jurisdiction, what is illégal in one country may be permitted elsewhere.

Terminology considerations: In some contexts, especially regarding migration, the adjective illégale is sometimes avoided in favor of terms such as irrégulier or non conforme to emphasize legal status without value judgments. The choice of term can reflect legal frameworks or policy preferences in different French-speaking regions.

See also: illégalité, légalité, droit, réglementation.