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違法 (いほう) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Common word JLPT N1 Freq. Frequency Top 5,000 Meanings 1
na-adjective, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no', noun
illegal ; unlawful ; illicit
Used for actions, acts, or things that are against the law. Common in legal, news, and formal contexts. Can be used as a noun, as an adjective with な or の, or as a modifier.
とり
引ひき
は
違い
法ほう
と
判はん
断だん
さ
れ
た
。
The transaction was judged to be illegal.
Similar words 不ふ 法ほう 不法 also means 'illegal' but often emphasizes 'lawlessness' or 'wrongfulness' and is used in compounds like 不法侵入 (trespassing). 違法 is more directly 'against the law' and is common in legal contexts.
合ごう 法ほう Antonym; means 'legal' or 'lawful'.
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.