Meaning & use
contraband
Last updated
Goods that are illegal to import, export, or possess, especially smuggled items.
See it in a sentence
Customs officers found contraband hidden inside the shipping containers.
Cigarettes are common contraband smuggled across the border to avoid taxes.
A note on using this word
Can also function as an adjective, as in 'contraband cigarettes,' describing goods that are illegal to trade or possess.
Words with a similar meaning
smuggled goodsblack-market goods
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
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