legal

adjective

Save Word

le·gal | \ ˈlē-gəl

Definition of legal

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : of or relating to law She has many legal problems.

2a : deriving authority from or founded on law : de jure a legal government

b : having a formal status derived from law often without a basis in actual fact : titular a corporation is a legal but not a real person

c : established by law especially : statutory the legal test of mental capacity — K. C. Masteller

3 : conforming to or permitted by law or established rules The referee said it was a legal play. Fishing in this lake is legal.

4 : recognized or made effective by a court of law as distinguished from a court of equity

5 : of, relating to, or having the characteristics of the profession of law or of one of its members a bottle … that some legal friend had sent him— J. G. Cozzens

6 : created by the constructions of the law A legal fiction is something assumed in law to be a fact regardless of the truth of that assumption.

legal

noun

Definition of legal (Entry 2 of 2)

: one that conforms to rules or the law

Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Phrases Containing legal Learn More About legal

Synonyms & Antonyms for legal

Synonyms: Adjective

Antonyms: Adjective

Choose the Right Synonym for legal

Adjective

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 legal in a Sentence

Adjective She has a lot of legal problems. Do you know your legal rights? The amount of alcohol in his blood exceeded the legal limit. What you did was not legal. “Is it legal to fish in this river?” “Yes, it's perfectly legal.” The referee said it was a legal play. See More

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective These changes in legal representation raised concerns for elder abuse lawyers who reviewed the case for STAT. — Olivia Goldhill, STAT, 19 May 2022 In a May 2 interview with the Ross Kaminsky Show on KOA radio in Denver, Johnson discussed the border issue and made the case for a legal immigration system. — Bill Glauber, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 19 May 2022 Your daughter's first step should be to research her legal options and responsibilities. — Amy Dickinson, Washington Post, 19 May 2022 However, the legal situation of CBD at the federal level doesn't differ much from delta-8 THC, even though CBD has no psychoactive effect. — Dario Sabaghi, Forbes, 19 May 2022 While the defense argues the parents had no legal duty to do anything, the prosecution disagrees. — Tresa Baldas, Detroit Free Press, 19 May 2022 However, the reconstruction effort would be tied to conditions and reforms–political, legal and economic–that would help Ukraine prepare for membership. — Tom Fairless, WSJ, 19 May 2022 For these businesses, the legislation would impose a legal obligation to, among other things, prevent conflicts of interest stemming from owning multiple parts of the ad stack; provide customers with transparency; and act in their best interests. — Brian Fung, CNN, 19 May 2022 Like most upcoming Marvel projects, details around the legal comedy are kept under a laughably strict embargo, but a few important details are already public. — Lauren Puckett-pope, ELLE, 19 May 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun As a result, guns are banned in the area, even by those who have legal concealed carry permits. — Paul Bedard, Washington Examiner, 16 Jan. 2020 Many of Florida’s marijuana dispensaries were not ready when Gov. Ron DeSantis made smokable medical marijuana legal in March. — Marcia Heroux Pounds, sun-sentinel.com, 2 Dec. 2019 At the very end of the show, rapper Rico Nasty strutted out with a should-be-legal rolled piece of paper between her fingers. — Nicole Phelps, Vogue, 12 Mar. 2019 American Media agreed to give Ms. McDougal back the rights to her story as part of an April legal settlement, but the company insisted that the Men’s Journal cover go forward as planned. — WSJ, 27 June 2018 With recreational or medical marijuana legal in 29 states and the nation’s capital, the pot industry employed 121,000 people in the U.S. last year. — David Goldstein And Anita Chabria, sacbee, 8 June 2018 An extravagant legal row this week suggests there may be little time left for complacency. — The Economist, 7 June 2018 Barrett has asked Columbia to refund her spring term rent and tuition, and originally turned to Equip for Equality, a disability legal and advocacy organization, for help. — Deanna Isaacs, Chicago Reader, 8 Apr. 2018 At the very end of the show, rapper Rico Nasty strutted out with a should-be-legal rolled piece of paper between her fingers. — Nicole Phelps, Vogue, 12 Mar. 2019 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'legal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Learn More About legal

Dictionary Entries Near legal

legacy tax

legal

legal action

Statistics for legal

Last Updated

21 May 2022

Cite this Entry

“Legal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/legal. Accessed 24 May. 2022.

Style: MLA

MLA

Chicago

APA

Merriam-Webster Check Mark Icon

More Definitions for legal

legal

adjective

le·gal | \ ˈlē-gəl

Kids Definition of legal

1 : of or relating to law or lawyers legal books

2 : based on law a legal right

3 : allowed by law or rules legal conduct a legal play in a game

legal

adjective

le·gal | \ ˈlē-gəl

Legal Definition of legal

1 : of or relating to law or the processes of law a legal question take legal action

2a : deriving authority from or founded on law a legal tariff rate a legal government

b : fulfilling the requirements of law a legal voter

c : having a status derived from law : recognized as such by law a legal certainty

d : created by operation of especially statutory law legal incompetence a legal presumption — compare conventional sense 1, judicial sense 2

e : established by law the legal test for mental capacity

3 : conforming to or permitted by law : lawful a referendum to make gambling legal

4 : recognized or made effective under principles of law as distinguished from principles of equity : deriving from or existing or valid in law as distinguished from equity — see also equity — compare equitable

5a : of, relating to, or having the characteristics of the profession of law or one of its members a corporate legal department the legal community

b : of or relating to the study of law continuing legal education