noun

contraband

KON-truh-band

noun

Goods that are illegal to own, trade, or smuggle.

"Customs officers found contraband cigarettes hidden inside the truck."

"Prison guards regularly search cells for contraband phones."

adjective

Forbidden to be traded or carried.

"The ship was carrying contraband weapons across the border."

How to Use Contraband

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishGoods that are banned or smuggled illegally.

Common pairings

contraband goods smuggle contraband confiscate contraband

more contraband comparative, contrabanded past tense, contrabands plural, contrabands singular, most contraband superlative

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Customs officers found _____ cigarettes hidden inside the truck.

From Spanish contrabanda, from Italian contrabando, built from contra ("against") and bando ("ban"), reinforced later by French contrebande.