legality
noun
le·gal·i·ty
li-ˈga-lə-tē 
plural legalities
1
: attachment to or observance of law
2
: the quality or state of being legal : lawfulness
3
legalities plural
: obligations imposed by law
Examples of legality in a Sentence
the senator questioned the legality of the proposed surveillance operation
Recent Examples on the Web
The tariffs’ legality will continue to be litigated.
—
Veronique De Rugy, Oc Register, 28 Feb. 2026
By the later years of the decade, West Germany's authorities developed a range of new tools, some of dubious legality, that dramatically increased their counterterrorism capabilities, and ranks of the militants began to thin.
—Jason Burke, Time, 27 Feb. 2026
But the court decided legality, not the refund process.
—Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Feb. 2026
Acosta attempts By the time Epstein’s probation was over in 2010, Epstein was facing intense new scrutiny, as dozens of underage girls began filing federal civil lawsuits against him, including one that challenged the legality of his deal and threatened to put him in prison.
—Julie K. Brown, Miami Herald, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for legality
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Veronique De Rugy, Oc Register, 28 Feb. 2026
By the later years of the decade, West Germany's authorities developed a range of new tools, some of dubious legality, that dramatically increased their counterterrorism capabilities, and ranks of the militants began to thin.
—Jason Burke, Time, 27 Feb. 2026
But the court decided legality, not the refund process.
—Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Feb. 2026
Acosta attempts By the time Epstein’s probation was over in 2010, Epstein was facing intense new scrutiny, as dozens of underage girls began filing federal civil lawsuits against him, including one that challenged the legality of his deal and threatened to put him in prison.
—Julie K. Brown, Miami Herald, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for legality
Cite this Entry
“Legality.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/legality. Accessed 7 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
legality
noun
le·gal·i·ty
li-ˈgal-ət-ē
plural legalities
1
: the quality or state of being legal : lawfulness
2
: something that is required by law
Legal Definition
legality
noun
le·gal·i·ty
li-ˈga-lə-tē
plural legalities
1
: attachment to or observance of law
2
: the quality or state of being legal : lawfulness
3
plural
: obligations imposed by law
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
