What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Famine vs Illegal - What's the difference?

famine | illegal |

As a proper noun famine

is the personification of famine, often depicted riding a black horse.

As an adjective illegal is

illegal; not permitted by law.

famine

English

Noun

(wikipedia famine)
  • (uncountable) extreme shortage of food in a region
  • * 1971 , Central Institute of Research & Training in Public Cooperation
    • Dr. Bhatia pointed out that famine had occurred in all ages and in all societies where means of communication and transport were not developed.
  • (countable) a period of extreme shortage of food in a region
  • * 1986 , United States Congress, House Select Committee on Hunger, Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on Africa, Famine and Recovery in Africa
    • The root causes of the current famine are known: poverty, low health standards....

    illegal

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Contrary to or forbidden by law, especially criminal law.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-07-19, author=(Peter Wilby)
    • , volume=189, issue=6, page=30, magazine=(The Guardian Weekly) , title= Finland spreads word on schools , passage=Imagine a country where children do nothing but play until they start compulsory schooling at age seven. Then, without exception, they attend comprehensives until the age of 16. Charging school fees is illegal , and so is sorting pupils into ability groups by streaming or setting.}}
  • Forbidden by established rules.
  • (philately, of an issue printed for collectors) Totally fictitious, and often issued on behalf of a non-existent territory or country.
  • .
  • # (chiefly, US, sometimes, offensive) Being an illegal immigrant; residing in a country illegally.

    • Usage notes

    The use of "illegal" to describe a person rather than an action is often regarded as offensive.https://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/04/03-5

    Synonyms

    * (forbidden by law) criminal, felonious, illicit, unlawful * (totally fictitious) bogus

    Antonyms

    * (forbidden by law) lawful, legal

    Derived terms

    * illegal alien * illegal immigrant

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (colloquial, offensive) An illegal immigrant.
  • An illegal resident spy.
  • * 2012 , , ‘Colder War’, Literary Review , issue 399:
    • Anna Chapman, whose glamorous appearance won her more publicity in the Western media than all the other illegals combined, was so successfully deceived by a US sting operation that she handed over her SVR laptop to an FBI agent posing as a Russian.

    Usage notes

    The use of "illegal" to describe a person rather than an action is often regarded as offensive, and the use of "illegal" as a noun is especially charged.

    References

    ----