• Cryophilia@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    3
    ·
    5 months ago

    Illegal specifically means against the law, not just against some private space’s set of rules.

    • mozz@mbin.grits.dev
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      2
      arrow-down
      2
      ·
      edit-2
      5 months ago

      illegal - 1 of 2 - adjective

      il·​le·​gal (ˌ)i(l)-ˈlē-gəl

      : not according to or authorized by law : UNLAWFUL, ILLICIT

      also : not sanctioned by official rules (as of a game)

      -Merriam-Webster

      • Cryophilia@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        2
        arrow-down
        2
        ·
        5 months ago

        Using “illegal” when referring to gameplay is already pushing it. It would raise eyebrows. Expanding it to encompass any set of rules is simply wrong.

        • mozz@mbin.grits.dev
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          2
          arrow-down
          2
          ·
          5 months ago

          Something illegal is against the law or breaks the rules. If you’re reading this in jail, you’ve probably done something illegal, and if you’re not in jail, there’s plenty of time to obey the law.

          You can use the adjective illegal to describe breaking the rules, as when you head-butt someone in a game. Acts that go against the law, such as robbing a bank, are also illegal. There is a wide range of things called illegal, from small acts to big ones, but no matter the seriousness, if it is against the law, it is illegal. This adjective also describes people who enter countries without official government approval, they are called “illegal immigrants” or “illegal aliens.”

          Definitions of illegal

          (adjective) prohibited by law or by official or accepted rules

          “an illegal chess move”

          -Vocabulary.com

          • Cryophilia@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            2
            arrow-down
            1
            ·
            5 months ago

            You’ll notice the great majority of that definition talks about laws, with one minor exception for games.

            • mozz@mbin.grits.dev
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              2
              arrow-down
              1
              ·
              edit-2
              5 months ago

              Lemmy is such a bizarre place. Honestly, I’m a little surprised I am still having this conversation. But sure!

              illegal

              [ ih-lee-guhl ]

              adjective

              1. forbidden by law or statute. Synonyms: unlicensed, illicit, illegitimate, unlawful
              2. contrary to or forbidden by official rules, regulations, etc.: The referee ruled that it was an illegal forward pass.

              -Dictionary.com

              The great majority of the definition, comprising a full 64% of the words, talks about meaning 2. So! By your own standards, definition 1 doesn’t count anymore, and I get to complain if you try to use it. How dare you say the word means definition 1, and not definition 2, which is clearly the only real definition and the only one that actually counts. How dare you. How DARE you.

              • Cryophilia@lemmy.world
                link
                fedilink
                English
                arrow-up
                1
                arrow-down
                1
                ·
                5 months ago

                I defy you to find a single usage of illegal in contemporary writing that refers to neither laws nor games.

                • mozz@mbin.grits.dev
                  link
                  fedilink
                  arrow-up
                  2
                  ·
                  5 months ago

                  I’m not your citation monkey

                  I actually found one, because I was wondering if me and the dictionary were the wrong ones, but I refuse to send it because what I already sent is accurate + sufficient. You can accept or not; it’s up to you.

                  • Cryophilia@lemmy.world
                    link
                    fedilink
                    English
                    arrow-up
                    1
                    arrow-down
                    1
                    ·
                    5 months ago

                    Well I can’t really cite the whole of the English language to prove my point, can I? Trying to prove a negative is very difficult.

        • Kazumara@discuss.tchncs.de
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          3
          ·
          5 months ago

          Using “illegal” when referring to gameplay is already pushing it. It would raise eyebrows.

          No, that’s normal. Illegal moves in chess, illegal actions in Magic or Yugioh, illegal strategies in football.

          • Cryophilia@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            1
            arrow-down
            1
            ·
            5 months ago

            Yeah, and unless you’re an ultra game nerd, using illegal to refer to breaking the rules is strange. Most people say “against the rules” or “non-permissible”. It’s a small, niche usage of the word.