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

Charlotte City Attorney Andrea Leslie-Fite said the city cannot legally do that. — Charlotte Observer, 20 Sep. 2026

And what legally counts as infringement in one country might not count in another. — Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 19 Sep. 2026

Spokespersons for both museums say the museums legally hold titles to the works, and intend to continue displaying them to the public. — ABC News, 19 Sep. 2026

California is an example of a state in which prediction markets are available even though only tribes may legally offer gambling. — Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 18 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1581, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for legally

• illegally