Extralegal

/ˌɛkstrəˈliːɡəl/ adjective

Definition

Existing or occurring outside the law; not regulated by law or legal authority.

Etymology

From Latin 'extra' (outside) + 'legal' (relating to law, from 'lex' meaning law). The term developed in 20th-century political science to describe informal power structures and gray-area activities.

Kelly Says

Extralegal economies—underground markets, barter systems, informal labor—account for trillions of dollars globally and exist completely outside government regulation and taxation!

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