Usage patterns 違い 法ほう な 〈 物もの 〉 an illegal (thing)
He was arrested for possessing an illegal weapon.
違い 法ほう に 〈 動どう 詞し 〉 to (do something) illegally
Illegally downloading music is a crime.
〈 事こと 〉 を 違い 法ほう とする to declare (something) illegal
The new law makes this act illegal.
〈 事こと 〉 が 違い 法ほう かどうか whether (something) is illegal
Whether this transaction is illegal will be decided in court.
Related words 違法 states plainly that something is against the law, while 不法 emphasizes lawlessness or wrongdoing and appears in set compounds like 不法侵入 .
違法 is the neutral legal term for illegal, whereas 非合法 often describes underground or clandestine activity operating outside the law, such as illicit organizations.
違法 specifically labels an act as illegal under the law, whereas 無法 describes a general state of disorder or unreasonable behavior that may go beyond legal violation.
違法 specifically means illegal or unlawful, focusing on violation of law, whereas 不正 also includes broader moral and procedural wrongs.
違法 describes an act as illegal (an adjective/noun of quality), whereas 犯罪 refers to the actual criminal act itself.
Opposites 違法 means against the law, while 合法 means in accordance with the law.
違法 means 'illegal' or 'unlawful', the direct antonym of 適法 .
違法 means 'illegal' or 'unlawful', the direct opposite of 合法的 .
Don't confuse with 違法 describes something as being illegal (a state), while 違反 refers to the act of violating a rule or law and is often paired with に (規則に違反する ).
違憲 specifically means a violation of the constitution, whereas 違法 is the broader term for breaking any law or regulation.
Word family· 12 illegality; unlawfulness
lawbreaker; offender; violator
illegal construction; illegally built structure
illegal possession; unlawful possession
illegal fishing; illegal operation
Show 5 more Show fewer illegal modification; illegal tuning
illegal drug
illegal act; unlawful act
illegal parking
illegal copy; pirated copy; piracy
See all 12 in Explore →
Etymology Compound of 違 (i, 'to differ, violate') and 法 (hō, 'law'). The reading is on'yomi. The word has been used in legal and formal Japanese since at least the Meiji period.
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