Contrabandist

/ˌkɒntrəˈbændɪst/ noun

Definition

A person who smuggles contraband or engages in illegal trade; a smuggler.

Etymology

From 'contraband' plus '-ist' (a person who practices or specializes in something), creating an agent noun for someone involved in smuggling operations.

Kelly Says

The '-ist' suffix professionally labels people—'contrabandist' is surprisingly common in 18th and 19th-century literature about smuggling, where Romantic writers sometimes made smugglers sound noble, framing them as rebels against unjust trading laws and taxation.

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