ilícitas

Ilícitas is a term used in Spanish to designate illicit acts or conditions in the feminine plural form. It functions primarily as the feminine plural form of the adjective ilícita, agreeing with feminine plural nouns such as conductas ilícitas, actividades ilícitas, or acciones ilícitas. In formal writing—legal, criminological, or sociological—the word characterizes activities that are prohibited, unlawful, or morally disapproved by law or regulation.

Usage notes: Ilícitas typically appears in phrases specifying what is illicit, rather than as a stand-alone noun. For example, las conductas ilícitas (illicit behaviors) or actividades ilícitas (illicit activities). In many contexts, the term underscores illegality while conveying a precise, legal nuance.

Etymology: The form derives from the Spanish ilícito, meaning illicit or forbidden, which itself comes from Latin and the development of Romance languages. The feminine plural ilícitas agrees with feminine plural nouns.

Common usage: The term is common in legal texts, journalism, and academic writing in Spanish. It is not a proper noun and does not refer to a recognized organization, movement, or entity by itself.

See also: illicit, illegality, illegal, conductas ilícitas, acciones ilícitas.