IL -abbr

  1. Illinois
  2. interleukin often used with an identifying number
    • IL -6

ILA -abbr

  1. International Longshoremen's Association

il·e·i·tis [,i-lē-'ī-təs] -n

  1. inflammation of the ileum

il·e·um ['i-lē-əm] -n, adj

  1. the last division of the small intestine extending between the jejunum and large intestine

il·e·us ['i-lē-əs] -n

  1. mechanical or functional obstruction of the bowel

ilex ['ī-,leks] -n

  1. holm oak
  2. holly

ILGWU -abbr

  1. International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union

il·i·ac ['i-lē-,ak] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or located near the ilium

Il·i·ad ['i-lē-əd, -,ad] -n, adj

  1. a series of miseries or disastrous events
  2. a series of exploits regarded as suitable for an epic
  3. a long narrative
  4. an epic in the Homeric tradition

il·i·um ['i-lē-əm] -n

  1. the broad, dorsal, upper, and largest of the three principal bones composing either half of the pelvis

ilk ['ilk] -pron

  1. same used with that esp. in the names of landed families
  2. sort, kind
    • the rejection of these books or others of like ilk -- Kathleen Molz
  3. each

il·ka ['il-kə] -adj

  1. each, every

ill ['il] -adj

  1. immoral, vicious
  2. resulting from, accompanied by, or indicative of an evil or malevolent intention
    • ill deeds
  3. attributing evil or an objectionable quality
    • held an ill opinion of his neighbors
  4. causing suffering or distress
    • ill weather
  5. not normal or sound
    • ill health
  6. not in good health
  7. nauseated
  8. not suited to circumstances or not to one's advantage : unlucky
    • an ill omen
  9. involving difficulty : hard
  10. not meeting an accepted standard
    • ill manners
  11. notably unskillful or inefficient
  12. unfriendly, hostile
    • ill feeling
  13. with displeasure or hostility
  14. in a harsh manner
  15. so as to reflect unfavorably
    • spoke ill of the neighbors
  16. in a reprehensible manner
  17. hardly, scarcely
    • can ill afford such extravagances
  18. in an unfortunate manner : badly, unluckily
    • ill fares the land...where wealth accumulates, and men decay -- Oliver Goldsmith
  19. in a faulty, inefficient, insufficient, or unpleasant manner often used in combination
    • the methods used may be ill -adapted to the aims in view -- R. M. Hutchins
  20. the reverse of good : evil
  21. misfortune, distress
  22. ailment, sickness
  23. something that disturbs or afflicts : trouble
    • economic and social ill s
  24. something that reflects unfavorably
    • spoke no ill of him
  25. illustrated; illustration; illustrator

Ill -abbr

  1. Illinois

illad·vised [,il-əd-'vīzd] -adj, adv

  1. resulting from or showing lack of wise and sufficient counsel or deliberation
    • an illadvised decision

ill at ease -adj

  1. not feeling easy : uncomfortable

il·la·tion [i-'lā-shən] -n

  1. the action of inferring : inference
  2. a conclusion inferred

il·la·tive ['i-lə-tiv, i-'lā-] -n

  1. a word (as therefore) or phrase (as as a consequence) introducing an inference
  2. illation

illative -adj, adv

  1. inferential

il·laud·able [(,)i(l)-'lȯ-də-bəl] -adj, adv

  1. deserving no praise

illbe·ing ['il-'bē-iŋ] -n

  1. a condition of being deficient in health, happiness, or prosperity

illbod·ing [-'bō-diŋ] -adj

  1. boding evil : inauspicious

illbred [-'bred] -adj

  1. badly brought up or showing bad upbringing : impolite

il·le·gal [(,)i(l)-'lē-gəl] -adj, n, adv

  1. not according to or authorized by law : unlawful, illicit
  2. not sanctioned by official rules (as of a game)

illegal -n

  1. an illegal immigrant

il·le·gal·ize [(,)i(l)-'lē-gə-,līz] -vt, n

  1. to make or declare illegal

il·leg·i·ble [(,)i(l)-'le-jə-bəl] -adj, n, adv

  1. not legible : indecipherable
    • illegible writing

il·le·git·i·ma·cy [,i-li-'ji-tə-mə-sē] -n

  1. the quality or state of being illegitimate
  2. bastardy

il·le·git·i·mate [-'ji-tə-mət] -adj, adv

  1. not recognized as lawful offspring
  2. born of parents not married to each other
  3. not rightly deduced or inferred : illogical
  4. departing from the regular : erratic
  5. not sanctioned by law : illegal
  6. not authorized by good usage
  7. published but not in accordance with the rules of the relevant international code

illfat·ed ['il-'fā-təd] -adj

  1. having or destined to a hapless fate : unfortunate
    • an illfated expedition
  2. that causes or marks the beginning of misfortune

illfa·vored [-'fā-vərd] -adj

  1. unattractive in physical appearance
  2. having an ugly face
  3. offensive, objectionable

illgot·ten [-'gä-tᵊn] -adj

  1. acquired by illicit or improper means
    • illgotten gains

illhu·mored ['il-'hyü-mərd, -'yü-] -adj, adv

  1. surly, irritable

il·lib·er·al [(,)i(l)-'li-b(ə-)rəl] -adj, n, adv

  1. : not liberal: as
  2. lacking a liberal education
  3. lacking culture and refinement
  4. not requiring the background of a liberal arts education
    • illiberal occupations
  5. not generous : stingy
  6. not broad-minded : bigoted
    • illiberal thinking
  7. opposed to liberalism
    • illiberal tendencies

il·lib·er·al·ism [-b(ə-)rə-,li-zəm] -n

  1. opposition to or lack of liberalism

il·lic·it [(,)i(l)-'li-sət] -adj, adv

  1. not permitted : unlawful

il·lim·it·able [(,)i(l)-'li-mə-tə-bəl] -adj, n, adv

  1. incapable of being limited or bounded : measureless
    • the illimitable reaches of space and time

Il·li·nois [,i-lə-'nȯi also -'nȯiz] -n

  1. a confederacy of American Indian peoples of Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin
  2. a member of any of the Illinois peoples
  3. the Algonquian language of the Illinois

il·liq·uid [(,)i(l)-'lik-wəd] -adj, n

  1. not being cash or readily convertible into cash
    • illiquid holdings
  2. deficient in liquid assets
    • an illiquid bank

il·lite ['i-,līt] -n, adj

  1. any of a group of clay minerals having essentially the crystal structure of muscovite

il·lit·er·a·cy [(,)i(l)-'li-t(ə-)rə-sē] -n

  1. the quality or state of being illiterate
  2. inability to read or write
  3. a mistake or crudity (as in speaking) typical of one who is illiterate

il·lit·er·ate [(,)i(l)-'li-t(ə-)rət] -adj, n, adv

  1. having little or no education
  2. unable to read or write
    • an illiterate population
  3. showing or marked by a lack of familiarity with language and literature
    • an illiterate magazine
  4. violating approved patterns of speaking or writing
  5. showing or marked by a lack of acquaintance with the fundamentals of a particular field of knowledge
    • musically illiterate

illman·nered ['il-'ma-nərd] -adj

  1. having bad manners : rude

illna·tured [-'nā-chərd] -adj, adv

  1. malevolent, spiteful
  2. having a bad disposition : cross, surly

ill·ness ['il-nəs] -n

  1. wickedness
  2. unpleasantness
  3. an unhealthy condition of body or mind
  4. sickness

il·lo·cu·tion·ary [,i-lə-'kyü-shə-,ner-ē, ,i(l)-lō-] -adj

  1. relating to or being the communicative effect (as commanding or requesting) of an utterance
    • There's a snake under you may have the illocutionary force of a warning

il·log·ic [(,)i(l)-'lä-jik] -n

  1. the quality or state of being illogical : illogicality

il·log·i·cal [-ji-kəl] -adj, n, adv

  1. not observing the principles of logic
    • an illogical argument
  2. devoid of logic : senseless
    • illogical policies

illsort·ed ['il-'sȯr-təd] -adj

  1. not well matched
    • he and his wife were an illsorted pair -- Lord Byron
  2. much displeased

illstarred [-'stärd] -adj

  1. ill-fated, unlucky
    • an illstarred venture

illtem·pered [-'tem-pərd] -adj, adv

  1. ill-natured, quarrelsome

illtreat [-'trēt] -vt, n

  1. to treat cruelly or improperly : maltreat

il·lume [i-'lüm] -vt

  1. illuminate

il·lu·mi·nance [i-'lü-mə-nən(t)s] -n

  1. illumination

il·lu·mi·nant [-nənt] -n

  1. an illuminating device or substance

il·lu·mi·nate [i-'lü-mə-nət] -adj

  1. brightened with light
  2. intellectually or spiritually enlightened
  3. to enlighten spiritually or intellectually
  4. to supply or brighten with light
  5. to make luminous or shining
  6. to set alight
  7. to subject to radiation
  8. to make clear : elucidate
  9. to bring to the fore : highlight
    • a crisis can illuminate how interdependent we all are
  10. to make illustrious or resplendent
  11. to decorate (as a manuscript) with gold or silver or brilliant colors or with often elaborate designs or miniature pictures
  12. one having or claiming unusual enlightenment

il·lu·mi·na·ti [i-,lü-mə-'nä-tē] -n pl

  1. any of various groups claiming special religious enlightenment
  2. persons who are or who claim to be unusually enlightened
  3. elite
    • members of the academic illuminati

il·lu·mi·na·tion [i-,lü-mə-'nā-shən] -n

  1. : the action of illuminating or state of being illuminated: as
  2. spiritual or intellectual enlightenment
  3. a lighting up
  4. decorative lighting or lighting effects
  5. decoration by the art of illuminating
  6. the luminous flux per unit area on an intercepting surface at any given point
  7. one of the decorative features used in the art of illuminating or in decorative lighting

il·lu·mi·na·tive [i-'lü-mə-,nā-tiv] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or producing illumination : illuminating

il·lu·mine [i-'lü-mən] -vt, adj

  1. illuminate

il·lu·mi·nism [-mə-,ni-zəm] -n

  1. belief in or claim to a personal enlightenment not accessible to humankind in general
  2. beliefs or claims viewed as forming doctrine or principles of Illuminati

illus -abbr

  1. illustrated; illustration

illus·age ['il-'yü-sij, -zij] -n

  1. harsh, unkind, or abusive treatment

illuse [-'yüz] -vt

  1. to use badly : maltreat, abuse

il·lu·sion [i-'lü-zhən] -n, adj

  1. the action of deceiving
  2. the state or fact of being intellectually deceived or misled : misapprehension
  3. an instance of such deception
  4. a misleading image presented to the vision
  5. something that deceives or misleads intellectually
  6. perception of something objectively existing in such a way as to cause misinterpretation of its actual nature
  7. hallucination
  8. a pattern capable of reversible perspective
  9. a fine plain transparent bobbinet or tulle usu. made of silk and used for veils, trimmings, and dresses

il·lu·sion·ary [i-'lü-zhə-,ner-ē] -adj

  1. illusory

il·lu·sion·ism [i-'lü-zhə-,ni-zəm] -n

  1. the use of artistic techniques (as perspective or shading) to create the illusion of reality esp. in a work of art

il·lu·sion·ist [i-'lüzh-nist, -'lü-zhə-] -n, adj, adv

  1. : a person who produces illusory effects: as
  2. one (as an artist) whose work is marked by illusionism
  3. a sleight-of-hand performer or a magician

il·lu·sive [i-'lü-siv, -ziv] -adj, adv, n

  1. illusory

il·lu·so·ry [i-'lüs-rē, -'lüz-; -'lü-sə-, -zə-] -adj, adv, n

  1. based on or producing illusion : deceptive
    • illusory hopes

il·lus·trate ['i-ləs-,trāt also i-'ləs-] -vb, n

  1. enlighten
  2. to light up
  3. to make illustrious
  4. to make bright
  5. adorn
  6. to make clear : clarify
  7. to make clear by giving or by serving as an example or instance
  8. to provide with visual features intended to explain or decorate
    • illustrate a book
  9. to show clearly : demonstrate
  10. to give an example or instance

il·lus·tra·tion [,i-ləs-'trā-shən also i-,ləs-] -n, adj

  1. the action of illustrating : the condition of being illustrated
  2. the action of making illustrious or honored or distinguished
  3. : something that serves to illustrate: as
  4. an example or instance that helps make something clear
  5. a picture or diagram that helps make something clear or attractive

il·lus·tra·tive [i-'ləs-trə-tiv also 'i-lə-,strā-] -adj, adv

  1. serving, tending, or designed to illustrate
    • illustrative examples
    • art that is illustrative of provincial life

il·lus·tri·ous [i-'ləs-trē-əs] -adj, adv, n

  1. notably or brilliantly outstanding because of dignity or achievements or actions : eminent
  2. shining brightly with light
  3. clearly evident

il·lu·vi·a·tion [i-,lü-vē-'ā-shən] -n, adj

  1. accumulation of dissolved or suspended soil materials in one area or horizon as a result of eluviation from another

ill will -n

  1. unfriendly feeling

illwish·er ['il-,wi-shər, -'wi-] -n

  1. one that wishes ill to another

il·ly ['i(l)-lē] -adv

  1. not wisely or well : badly, ill
    • his illy concealed pride -- Della Lutes

Il·lyr·i·an [i-'lir-ē-ən] -n, adj

  1. a native or inhabitant of ancient Illyria
  2. the poorly attested Indo-European languages of the Illyrians

il·men·ite ['il-mə-,nīt] -n

  1. a usu. massive iron-black mineral that consists of an oxide of iron and titanium and that is a major titanium ore

ILO -abbr

  1. International Labor Organization

Ilo·ca·no [,ē-lə-'kä-(,)nō, ,i-] -n

  1. a member of a major people of northern Luzon in the Philippines
  2. the Austronesian language of the Ilocano people

ILS -abbr

  1. instrument landing system