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

As such, they cannot legally be used by medical clinics that adhere to federal law and funding policies. — Dr. Shravani Durbhakula, Time, 1 Nov. 2026

Venues are legally prohibited from requiring proof of a disability, a safeguard meant to protect disabled patrons’ privacy and dignity. — Maribeth Romslo, Rolling Stone, 1 Nov. 2026

Surface appearance alone cannot tell you whether an area is legally considered a wetland. — Dr. Avishesh Neupane, Hartford Courant, 1 Nov. 2026

Judd looked across the border to Mexico, where the craft survived, and hired (legally) two adoberos to come to Marfa and do the work. — Julian Rose, Artforum, 1 Nov. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1581, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for legally

• illegally