Spanish Conversation · Level 33
75 words
Spanish word
contrabando
Pronunciation
IPA/kontɾaˈβando/
Meaning
- masculine nouncontraband
Example
Encontraron contrabando escondido en el contenedor.
They found contraband hidden in the container.
More examples
La policía incautó contrabando en la aduana.
The police confiscated contraband at the customs office.
Core concept
Goods hidden inside a shipping container.
Common phrases
contrabando de drogas
drug smuggling
contrabando de armas
arms smuggling
mercancía de contrabando
smuggled merchandise
Similar words
mercancía de contrabando: Merchandise hidden and transported specifically for smuggling.
producto prohibido: Goods whose import or sale is legally banned.
mercancía ilegal: Merchandise produced, sold, or handled in violation of the law.
artículo de contrabando: Individual item secretly transported to evade customs checks.
Definition in Spanish
Bienes introducidos clandestinamente en un territorio para evadir aduanas, impuestos o prohibiciones legales.
Word origin
From medieval Latin contrabannum 'against the ban' (contra- 'against' + bannum 'ban'), later entering Romance languages and Spanish to name goods moved illicitly.
Usage tips
- Used for items like cigarettes, alcohol, and electronics smuggled to avoid customs, and it refers to goods rather than to people, where tráfico de personas describes human trafficking.
Other meanings
- smugglingnoun
Opposites
- comercio lícitolegitimate commercenoun
- importación legallegal importationnoun
Related words
- contrabandistacontrabandistnoun
- contrabandearsmuggleverb
- contrabandismosmugglingnoun