legally

adverb

le·​gal·​ly ˈlē-gə-lē 

1

: in a legal manner : in accordance with the law

a transfer that was not done legally

a drug that can now be legally bought and sold in many countries

2

: from the point of view of law

Legally, she had no claim to the estate.

They were not legally obligated to provide assistance.

a person who is legally blind [=who is blind according to the legal definition of blindness]

legally drunk [=drunk according to the legal definition of drunkenness]

Synonyms

• ethically
• fairly
• morally
• honorably
• fair
• cleanly
• clean

Examples of legally in a Sentence

that's not a move that can be made legally in chess

Recent Examples on the Web

All students, regardless of their country of origin or immigration status are legally entitled to an education. —Miami Herald, 13 Sep. 2025

After a judge maintained that Natalia was legally an adult, the Mans dropped the guardianship petition — but Natalia has continued to live with the family in the years since. —Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 12 Sep. 2025

This includes the state of California, which legally and historically has had the right to make this decision. —Mark Weisbrot, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025

At Kalshi, a prediction market that operates legally in Texas, TCU is a -5000 favorite, meaning bettors have to wager $5,000 on TCU to earn $100 in profit. —Jim Barnes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1581, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for legally

• illegally