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

Black slavery expanded in the South until the American Civil War, when it was legally terminated by the Thirteenth Amendment in 1865. — Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026

Wilson legally changed her name and gender in 2022, adopting her mother Justine Wilson’s surname. — Sameen Chaudhry, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2026

Meta is among eight donors that wrote seven-figure checks supporting Becerra’s gubernatorial campaign, with most of the money funneled to independent committees backing the Democrat that are not allowed to legally coordinate with the candidate. — Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026

De Haan said further clarification is needed if stations could legally be allowed to adjust the digital software and move the decimal place to charge over $10 per gallon, or to instead start charging by the half gallon or some other measure. — Jordan Blum, Fortune, 10 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1581, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for legally

• illegally