French word

contrebandier

Pronunciation

IPA/kɔ̃tʁəbɑ̃dje/

Meaning

  • masculine nounsmuggler

Example

La police a arrêté un contrebandier hier.

The police arrested a smuggler yesterday.

Illustration for contrebandier (smuggler)

More examples

Des contrebandiers tentaient de faire passer des bijoux par la frontière.

The smugglers were trying to get jewelry across the border.

Core concept

A person moving goods through a customs barrier by avoiding the official route.

Common phrases

  • réseau international de contrebandiers

    international network of smugglers

  • les contrebandiers à la frontière

    the smugglers at the border

Similar words

trafiquant: A person who systematically trades in illegal goods, such as drugs.
passeur: A person who secretly moves people or goods across borders or other barriers.

Definition in French

Personne qui transporte ou fait entrer clandestinement des marchandises interdites ou non déclarées en contournant les contrôles douaniers ou fiscaux.

Word origin

Contrebandier is formed from French contrebande with the suffix -ier, which names a person connected with an activity.

Usage tips

  • Contrebandier is masculine; the feminine form is contrebandière, and both refer to the person rather than the goods.

Opposites

  • douaniercustoms officernoun

Related words

Word lists with this word