Criminal laid up with a broken leg (7)
I believe the answer is:
illegal
'criminal' is the definition.
(similar in meaning)
'laid up with a broken leg' is the wordplay.
'laid up' becomes 'ill' (similar in meaning).
'with' means one lot of letters goes inside another.
'broken' indicates anagramming the letters.
'leg' anagrammed gives 'egl'.
'a' going within 'egl' is 'egal'.
'ill'+'egal'='ILLEGAL'
(Other definitions for illegal that I've seen before include "Against the rules" , "Contraband" , "Unauthorised" , "Ignoring certain acts" , "Not in conformity with law" .)