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

Officials said the gun, described as small and compact, was legally registered to the boy’s grandfather. — ABC News, 8 Aug. 2026

The Historical Center worked with the government of Papua New Guinea to secure all the permissions to legally recover parts of the plane, Fiandt said. — Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026

Despite the reforms, the NYPD’s federal monitor has repeatedly said that even when officers conduct a legally justified stop, the subsequent frisk or more invasive search is too often not justified. — Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 2026

Try doing it on the one night a year single people are legally allowed to have sex. — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 7 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1581, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for legally

• illegally