I'll /a I l/ I'll is the usual spoken form of 'I will' or 'I shall'. □ I'll be leaving town in a few weeks.
i ll-advi sed ADJ [oft ADJ to-inf] If you describe something that someone does as ill-advised , you mean that it is not sensible or wise. □ They would be ill-advised to do this.
i ll at ea se also ill-at-ease → see ease
i ll-bre d ADJ If you say that someone is ill-bred , you mean that they have bad manners. [DISAPPROVAL ]
i ll-concei ved ADJ If you describe a plan or action as ill-conceived , you mean that it is likely to fail or have bad consequences because it has not been thought about carefully enough. □ …an ill-conceived plan to close the coal mine.
i ll-consi dered ADJ If you describe something that someone says or does as ill-considered , you mean that it is not sensible or not appropriate. □ He made some ill-considered remarks about the cost.
i ll-defi ned ADJ If you describe something as ill-defined , you mean that its exact nature or extent is not as clear as it should be or could be. □ …staff with ill-defined responsibilities.
i ll ef|fe cts also ill-effects N‑PLURAL If something has ill effects , it causes problems or damage. □ Some people are still suffering ill effects from the contamination of their water.
il|legal ◆◇◇ / I liː g ə l/ (illegals )
1 ADJ If something is illegal , the law says that it is not allowed. □ It is illegal to intercept radio messages. □ …illegal drugs. ● il|legal|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ They were yesterday convicted of illegally using a handgun. ● il|legal|ity / I l I gæ l I ti/ (illegalities ) N‑VAR □ There is no evidence of illegality.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] Illegal immigrants or workers have travelled into a country or are working without official permission. ● N‑COUNT Illegal immigrants or workers are sometimes referred to as illegals . □ …a clothing factory where many illegals worked.
il|leg|ible / I le dʒ I b ə l/ ADJ Writing that is illegible is so unclear that you cannot read it.
il|legiti|ma|cy / I l I dʒ I t I məsi/ N‑UNCOUNT Illegitimacy is the state of being born of parents who were not married to each other. □ Illegitimacy rates are soaring.
il|legiti|mate / I l I dʒ I t I mət/
1 ADJ A person who is illegitimate was born of parents who were not married to each other.
2 ADJ Illegitimate is used to describe activities and institutions that are not in accordance with the law or with accepted standards of what is right. □ The election was dismissed as illegitimate by the opposition.
i ll-equi pped ADJ [oft ADJ to-inf] Someone who is ill-equipped to do something does not have the ability, the qualities, or the equipment necessary to do it. □ Universities were ill-equipped to meet the massive intake of students. [Also + for ]
i ll-fa ted ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe something as ill-fated , you mean that it ended or will end in an unsuccessful or unfortunate way. □ …Captain Scott's ill-fated Antarctic expedition.
i ll-fi tting ADJ [ADJ n] An ill-fitting piece of clothing does not fit the person who is wearing it properly. □ He wore an ill-fitting green corduroy suit.
i ll-fou nded ADJ Something that is ill-founded is not based on any proper proof or evidence. □ Suspicion and jealousy, however ill-founded, can poison a marriage.
i ll-gotten gai ns N‑PLURAL Ill-gotten gains are things that someone has obtained in a dishonest or illegal way. □ But many leaders have invested their ill-gotten gains in several different countries.
i ll hea lth N‑UNCOUNT Someone who suffers from ill health has an illness or keeps being ill. □ He was forced to retire because of ill health.
il|lib|er|al / I l I bər ə l/ ADJ If you describe someone or something as illiberal , you are critical of them because they do not allow or approve of much freedom or choice of action. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ …illiberal legislation.
il|lic|it / I l I s I t/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] An illicit activity or substance is not allowed by law or the social customs of a country. □ Dante clearly condemns illicit love.
il|lit|era|cy / I l I tərəsi/ N‑UNCOUNT Illiteracy is the state of not knowing how to read or write.
il|lit|er|ate / I l I tərət/ (illiterates )
1 ADJ Someone who is illiterate does not know how to read or write. □ A large percentage of the population is illiterate. ● N‑COUNT An illiterate is someone who is illiterate. □ …an educational centre for illiterates.
2 ADJ [usu adv ADJ ] If you describe someone as musically, technologically, or economically illiterate , you mean that they do not know much about music, technology, or economics.
i ll-ma nnered ADJ If you describe someone as ill-mannered , you are critical of them because they are impolite or rude. [FORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ Chantal would have considered it ill-mannered to show surprise.
ill|ness ◆◇◇ / I lnəs/ (illnesses )
1 N‑UNCOUNT Illness is the fact or experience of being ill. □ If your child shows any signs of illness, take her to the doctor. □ Mental illness is still a taboo subject.
2 N‑COUNT An illness is a particular disease such as measles or pneumonia. □ She returned to her family home to recover from an illness. COLLOCATIONS illness NOUN
1
adjective + illness : mental, physical; serious, severe
verb + illness : cause; battle, feign
2
noun + illness : childhood, mystery, stomach