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]
Examples of legally in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Advertisement Across Maui, more than 12,000 housing units legally operate as short-term rentals, and officials estimate an additional 10,000 do so illegally, according to the governor.
—
Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 3 May 2024
Companies can’t legally tell customers if their accounts were closed because of a suspicious activity report.
—Lawrence Mower, Miami Herald, 3 May 2024
The exes will be declared legally single on Dec. 2, since California law requires a waiting period of six months or more.
—Jack Irvin, Peoplemag, 3 May 2024
Follow more of our reporting on Reality Check Capitol Alert
California oversight agency asks: Why is insurance commissioner absent from hearings?
April 26, 2024 12:26 PM
Local
How long can landlords legally take to make repairs?
—Joe Rubin, Sacramento Bee, 2 May 2024
The defendant has been given more time than he is legally entitled in order to provide his alibi.
—Michael Ruiz, Fox News, 2 May 2024
Roughly 5,900 are still in orbit, but Starlink isn't legally available to everyone.
—Kate Irwin, PCMAG, 1 May 2024
After a federal appeals court ruled this week that transgender people are legally entitled to the same access to medically necessary health care as everyone else, the immediate reaction of the states of North Carolina and West Virginia was to vow to appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.
—Aliyya Swaby, ProPublica, 1 May 2024
The guidance is not legally binding, but lays out a blueprint for how the EEOC will enforce anti-bias laws and can be cited in court to back up legal arguments.
—Reuters, NBC News, 30 Apr. 2024
Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 3 May 2024
Companies can’t legally tell customers if their accounts were closed because of a suspicious activity report.
—Lawrence Mower, Miami Herald, 3 May 2024
The exes will be declared legally single on Dec. 2, since California law requires a waiting period of six months or more.
—Jack Irvin, Peoplemag, 3 May 2024
Follow more of our reporting on Reality Check Capitol Alert
California oversight agency asks: Why is insurance commissioner absent from hearings?
April 26, 2024 12:26 PM
Local
How long can landlords legally take to make repairs?
—Joe Rubin, Sacramento Bee, 2 May 2024
The defendant has been given more time than he is legally entitled in order to provide his alibi.
—Michael Ruiz, Fox News, 2 May 2024
Roughly 5,900 are still in orbit, but Starlink isn't legally available to everyone.
—Kate Irwin, PCMAG, 1 May 2024
After a federal appeals court ruled this week that transgender people are legally entitled to the same access to medically necessary health care as everyone else, the immediate reaction of the states of North Carolina and West Virginia was to vow to appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.
—Aliyya Swaby, ProPublica, 1 May 2024
The guidance is not legally binding, but lays out a blueprint for how the EEOC will enforce anti-bias laws and can be cited in court to back up legal arguments.
—Reuters, NBC News, 30 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'legally.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near legally
Cite this Entry
“Legally.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/legally. Accessed 8 May. 2024.
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