lawful

adjective

law·​ful ˈlȯ-fəl How to pronounce lawful (audio)
1
a
: being in harmony with the law
a lawful judgment
b
: constituted, authorized, or established by law : rightful
lawful institutions
2
: law-abiding
lawful citizens
lawfully adverb
lawfulness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for lawful

lawful, legal, legitimate, licit mean being in accordance with law.

lawful may apply to conformity with law of any sort (such as natural, divine, common, or canon).

the lawful sovereign

legal applies to what is sanctioned by law or in conformity with the law, especially as it is written or administered by the courts.

legal residents of the state

legitimate may apply to a legal right or status but also, in extended use, to a right or status supported by tradition, custom, or accepted standards.

a perfectly legitimate question about taxes

licit applies to a strict conformity to the provisions of the law and applies especially to what is regulated by law.

the licit use of drugs by doctors

Examples of lawful in a Sentence

a lawful search of the property hunting is a lawful activity only if you have the proper license
Recent Examples on the Web Two more are lawful permanent residents of the U.S., and one is a dual Iranian American citizen. Shannon K. Crawford, ABC News, 18 Sep. 2023 The standard applies to people seeking a green card for the first time (through a relationship to a U.S. citizen or a sponsorship by a U.S. employer) and lawful permanent residents seeking to reenter the U.S. after an absence of more than six months. Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2023 The case: The special counsel’s office has been investigating whether Trump or those close to him violated the law by interfering with the lawful transfer of power after the 2020 presidential election or with Congress’s confirmation of the results on Jan. 6, 2021. Rachel Weiner, Washington Post, 15 Sep. 2023 According to the suit, between 2018 and 2022, SpaceX posted 14 public job advertisements stating that the company could only hire U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents. Ej Dickson, Rolling Stone, 24 Aug. 2023 The rocket company discouraged anyone who is not a U.S. citizen or a lawful permanent resident from applying for a job and refused to hire refugees and people granted asylum from September 2018 to May 2022, the lawsuit filed Thursday alleges. Jessica Guynn, USA TODAY, 24 Aug. 2023 But business and technology groups say the bill still comes with constitutional concerns because companies afraid of getting sued will end up removing more lawful content, including news coverage and historical items. Queenie Wong, Los Angeles Times, 9 Aug. 2023 Diaz had pleaded guilty in April to pleaded guilty to charges of forcibly assaulting, resisting, opposing, impeding, intimidating and interfering with a postal employee; and assaulting a person having lawful charge, custody and control of US mail with the intent to rob, officials said. Travis Andersen, BostonGlobe.com, 8 Aug. 2023 Prosecuting Trump may help distinguish lawful challenges in future elections from outright criminal acts. Dell Cameron, WIRED, 25 Aug. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lawful.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of lawful was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near lawful

Cite this Entry

“Lawful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lawful. Accessed 3 Oct. 2023.

Kids Definition

lawful

adjective
law·​ful ˈlȯ-fəl How to pronounce lawful (audio)
1
: permitted by law
lawful conduct
2
: recognized by law : rightful
the lawful owner
lawfully adverb
lawfulness noun

Legal Definition

lawful

adjective
law·​ful
1
a
: being in harmony with the law
a lawful judgment
a lawful purpose
b
: constituted, authorized, or established by law
a lawful duty
2
: law-abiding
lawful citizens
lawfully adverb
lawfulness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on lawful

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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