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

Synonyms of legality

• legitimacy

Examples of legality in a Sentence

the senator questioned the legality of the proposed surveillance operation

Recent Examples on the Web

That leaves oversight entirely in the hands of an administration that defended the legality of holding people in small metal cages after the inspector general released its report on Alligator Alcatraz. — Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 16 Sep. 2026

The federal government won an early procedural decision at the Supreme Court, but the justices pointedly did not decide the legality of the plan. — Arkansas Online, 15 Sep. 2026

The court's order still falls short of resolving the legality of the rule, and the litigation will continue. — Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 15 Sep. 2026

Iran, Russia and China reject the legality of the sanctions reimposed under the snapback mechanism. — ABC News, 14 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for legality

• banality
• bestiality
• brutality
• carnality
• centrality
• chirality
• duality
• fatality
• finality
• formality
• frugality
• lethality

Kids 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