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 of legally

• 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

The Philippines is a US mutual defense treaty ally, which means Washington is legally bound to come to Manila’s aid in the event of an attack on its territory or possibly even Philippine ships at sea. — Ivan Watson, CNN Money, 24 July 2026

Eagle City Council members unanimously voted to shoot down a proposal to repeal a now five-year-old rule that allows residents to legally discharge firearms on any private lands within Eagle exceeding 20 acres. — Noah Daly july 24, Idaho Statesman, 24 July 2026

In a court filing Friday, Paramount agreed to slow its roll, legally speaking. — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 24 July 2026

Texas criminal defense attorney Austin Hagee said Texas doesn’t recognize marijuana purchased legally in another state, and federal law also prohibits transporting marijuana across state lines. — Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1581, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for legally

• illegally