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

Her disqualification renders her actions, including the signing of Comey's indictment, legally invalid. —Peter Aitken, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Nov. 2025

The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles is implementing more stringent photo identification requirements for all vehicle registrations and renewals in an abrupt shift that could shut out immigrants from legally owning vehicles. —Ayden Runnels, Arkansas Online, 29 Nov. 2025

There are around 12 million Americans over the age of 40 with vision loss, and an additional million who are considered legally blind. —Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 28 Nov. 2025

How long can someone legally park in front of your house? —Sacbee.com, 27 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1581, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for legally

• illegally