illegal activity

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "illegal activity" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it to refer to actions that are against the law. Example: "The authorities are cracking down on illegal activity in the area." Alternative expressions include "criminal behavior" and "unlawful conduct."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

58 human-written examples

Was Google actively scanning Gmail for illegal activity?

TechCrunch

But there has also been illegal activity.

The New York Times - Science

The government sanctions this illegal activity.

The Guardian

This behavior isn't isolated to illegal activity.

The New York Times - Magazine

He suspected a high degree of illegal activity.

The New York Times

That can make it hard to detect illegal activity.

The New York Times

Coulson has continued to deny all knowledge of illegal activity.

The Guardian

"By banning anything, you're going to get more illegal activity".

The New York Times

This year, there are clues that the illegal activity continues.

The Guardian

And we see a lot of illegal activity.

The New York Times - Tech

Previously they said the illegal activity began in 2007.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Pair this phrase with strong verbs such as 'detect', 'prosecute', 'curtail', or 'facilitate' for more impactful sentences.

Common error

Avoid using 'criminal illegal activity' as it is redundant; 'criminal' already implies the activity is illegal. Furthermore, do not confuse it with 'illicit activity' if you are referring strictly to the violation of statutes, as 'illicit' can sometimes imply a breach of social norms rather than written laws.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "illegal activity" serves as a noun phrase where 'illegal' acts as the attributive adjective modifying the head noun 'activity'. In various contexts provided by Ludwig, it functions as the direct object of verbs like 'scanning', 'detecting', or 'denying'. Ludwig AI confirms it is grammatically sound and highly versatile.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

Formal & Business

20%

Science

15%

Less common in

Wiki

5%

Social Media

3%

Reference

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "illegal activity" is a robust and essential phrase in the English language for describing conduct that violates the law. Ludwig AI demonstrates its widespread application across top-tier journalism and scientific research, proving its reliability as a neutral descriptive term. Whether used to discuss tech platform moderation, environmental poaching, or corporate malfeasance, it remains the most effective way to address law-breaking generally. Writers should feel confident using it in any professional or news-oriented context while being mindful of more specific legal alternatives like "unlawful conduct" for formal documents.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

unlawful conduct

Used more frequently in formal legal documents or corporate compliance contexts

criminal behavior

Focuses specifically on the psychological or sociological aspect of committing crimes

illicit acts

Suggests actions that are not only illegal but also socially or morally forbidden

law-breaking

A more direct, common, and slightly less formal noun or adjective

proscribed actions

Technical term referring to activities specifically forbidden by a law or rule

outlawed behavior

Emphasizes the status of the behavior as being officially banned

wrongful deeds

A more literary or archaic way to describe harmful or illegal actions

felonious enterprise

Stronger legal connotation implying a organized or serious criminal undertaking

unauthorized operations

Often used in cybersecurity or corporate settings to describe actions without permission

malfeasance

Specifically refers to wrongdoing or misconduct by a public official

FAQs

How to use "illegal activity" in a sentence?

You can use it to describe broad categories of law-breaking, such as: 'The platform implemented new filters to detect "illegal activity" within its private groups.'

What can I say instead of "illegal activity"?

Depending on your tone, you can use alternatives like "unlawful conduct" for a legal tone, "illicit behavior" for something prohibited, or "criminal activity" for serious offenses.

Is "illegal activity" the same as "criminal activity"?

While often used interchangeably, "criminal activity" specifically refers to acts that violate criminal law, whereas "illegal activity" can also include civil violations or administrative breaches.

Which is more formal: "illegal activity" or "unlawful acts"?

unlawful acts is often considered slightly more formal and is more common in statutory or judicial writing compared to the neutral "illegal activity".