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PlainSpell

contraband

/ˈkɑn.tɹəˌbænd/noun, adjective

contraband is spelled C-O-N-T-R-A-B-A-N-D: 10 letters and 3 syllables. It appears 1.3 times per million words in written English, the 24,745th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, contraband means “Any goods which are illicit or illegal to possess” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of contraband is contrabands.

How many letters and syllables are in contraband?

Letters10: C-O-N-T-R-A-B-A-N-D
Syllables3 (from its American pronunciation)
In writing1.3 times per million words; the 24,745th most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search

Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How common is contraband?

Contraband appears 1.3 times per million words in written English, the 24,745th most frequent word form in the list.

Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How do you pronounce contraband?

  • UK /ˈkɒn.tɹəˌbænd/
  • US /ˈkɑn.tɹəˌbænd/

Contraband has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-contraband.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

Forms of contraband

  • contrabands plural, present, singular, he/she/it
  • more contraband comparative
  • most contraband superlative
  • contrabanding participle, present
  • contrabanded participle, past

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does contraband mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

noun

  1. 1

    Any goods which are illicit or illegal to possess.

  2. 2

    Goods which are prohibited from being traded, smuggled goods.

  3. 3

    USA black slave during the American Civil War who had escaped to, or been captured by, Union forces.

adjective

  1. 1

    Prohibited from being traded.

    … when the seizure is made in connection with a violation involving a contraband article covered by section 1 (b) (1) of the said Act; …

verb

  1. 1

    obsoleteTo import illegally; to smuggle.

  2. 2

    obsoleteTo declare prohibited; to forbid.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Contraband in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchcontrebande (goods which are prohibited from being traded…)
GermanSchmuggelware, Kontrebande, Konterbande (goods which are prohibited from being traded…)
Portuguesecontrabando (goods which are prohibited from being traded…), contrabandear (To import illegally)
Spanishcontrabando (goods which are prohibited from being traded…)

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.

Where does contraband come from?

From Spanish contrabanda (modern spelling contrabando), from Italian contrabando (modern spelling contrabbando), from contra (“against”) + bando (“ban”), and reinforced by French contrebande.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

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