word choice - What is the difference between illegal and unlawful?


I often hear an unlawful act, so what is an illegal act?


Dictionary.com defines the words as:



illegal




  1. forbidden by law or statute.




  2. contrary to or forbidden by official rules, regulations, etc.




unlawful



  1. not lawful; contrary to law; illegal



so it appears they might be synonyms. Is there some nuance that I'm missing?




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