an illegal procedure

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "an illegal procedure" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used in contexts discussing actions or processes that violate laws or regulations. Example: "The court ruled that the evidence obtained during the illegal procedure could not be used in the trial."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

9 human-written examples

The Falcons did not even commit an illegal procedure penalty.

The New York Times - Sports

After the break, the first snap to Casey from center Matt Schmitt was bobbled for an illegal procedure penalty.

The New York Times - Sports

On fourth down, the Aggies committed an illegal procedure penalty and settled for Terence Kitchens's 23-yard field goal to make it 10-7.

The New York Times - Sports

They say the only other option for some is to cross into Mexico for an illegal procedure or to acquire abortion-inducing drugs from unregulated pharmacies.

The New York Times

John's mother, Jeanette, a lesbian and stage mother from hell, is artificially inseminated with the genes of an artist in an illegal procedure by a mad scientist, Frederick Rust Plowman.

The New York Times - Books

Trump blundered into it on Wednesday when, with little evidence of forethought, he said in a TV interview that abortion ought to be illegal and women who underwent such an illegal procedure should face "some sort of punishment".

The Guardian

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

51 human-written examples

A British Journal of Obstetrics review of the service found that 11% had needed a follow-up surgical procedure but, as women on web points out, given that every seven minutes a woman somewhere in the world dies from a botched illegal procedure, an almost 90% chance of a safe, effective abortion has got to be a very big improvement.

The Guardian - Opinion

If you're not, you face the nonchoice of a dangerous, illegal procedure or a forced pregnancy.

The New York Times

Which is why, when faced with an attempt to sentence one of his clients who was not in the courtroom, the Venezuelan defense attorney José Amalio Graterol objected forcefully and refused to participate in an obviously illegal procedure.

The New York Times

A young Polish woman recalls a 15-hour illegal procedure in an overcrowded, airless clinic.

The Guardian - Arts

Pity the fan confronting a world where "illegal procedure" is no longer a specific infraction, but a category of infractions that includes many forms of misdemeanor.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When discussing legal or ethical violations, use "an illegal procedure" to clearly convey that a specific action is against the law or established rules.

Common error

Avoid using "an illegal procedure" when you actually mean an unethical one. "Illegal" denotes a violation of law, while "unethical" refers to a violation of moral principles. Make sure that the action you are describing is against the law and not just morally questionable.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "an illegal procedure" functions as a noun phrase, where the adjective "illegal" modifies the noun "procedure". Ludwig AI shows it's used to describe actions violating laws or regulations.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

30%

Wiki

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

8%

Formal & Business

7%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "an illegal procedure" is a noun phrase denoting a process or action that violates established laws or regulations. Ludwig AI confirms its accurate usage in contexts requiring precision in identifying unlawful actions. The phrase is most frequently found in news and media, and scientific sources. While grammatically correct, it's important to ensure that the described action truly violates a law and is not merely unethical.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

an unlawful act

Replaces "procedure" with "act", focusing on the action's illegality.

a prohibited practice

Substitutes "illegal" with "prohibited" and "procedure" with "practice", emphasizing the forbidden nature of the action.

an illicit operation

Replaces "illegal" with "illicit" and "procedure" with "operation", suggesting a secretive or unauthorized action.

a criminal process

Substitutes "illegal" with "criminal", highlighting the action's violation of criminal law.

a fraudulent scheme

Replaces the original phrase completely to denote deceptive and illegal planning.

an unauthorized intervention

Changes "illegal" to "unauthorized" and "procedure" to "intervention", suggesting a lack of proper permission or consent.

a banned method

Replaces "illegal" with "banned" and "procedure" with "method", emphasizing the prohibition of a specific approach.

a contravention of regulations

A more formal substitute using "contravention" to denote a violation of rules.

a violation of policy

Specifies the breach as relating to established organizational guidelines or rules.

an infringement of the law

Replaces "illegal" with "infringement", focusing on the act of breaking the law.

FAQs

How can I use "an illegal procedure" in a sentence?

You can use "an illegal procedure" to describe a process or action that is against the law. For example, "The evidence was obtained through "an illegal procedure" and therefore inadmissible in court."

What are some alternatives to saying "an illegal procedure"?

Alternatives include "an unlawful act", "a prohibited practice", or "an illicit operation", depending on the specific context.

Is there a difference between "an illegal procedure" and "an unethical procedure"?

Yes, "an illegal procedure" refers to something that violates the law, while "an unethical procedure" refers to something that violates moral principles or professional standards. The two are not interchangeable.

In what contexts is it appropriate to use the phrase "an illegal procedure"?

It's appropriate to use "an illegal procedure" in legal, medical, or formal contexts where you need to specifically denote that an action or process violates established laws or regulations.