legally

adverb

le·​gal·​ly ˈlē-gə-lē How to pronounce legally (audio)
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]

Examples of legally in a Sentence

that's not a move that can be made legally in chess
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
For starters, while the complaint repeatedly refers to most states allowing high school athletes to sign NIL deals, that line of attack could be dismissed as legally irrelevant. Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 18 Oct. 2025 The movement's website explicitly discourages participants from bringing weapons of any kind, including those legally permitted. Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025 Also referred to as a type of castle doctrine, these laws require that people fulfill certain criteria — like being physically on their inside their homes and being in fear of their life — before they can be legally justified in using a weapon to protect themselves. Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 17 Oct. 2025 The protests should be peaceful and weapons were banned from the events, even in places where they were legally allowed, No Kings organizers said on its website. Michelle Cruz, AZCentral.com, 17 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for legally

Word History

First Known Use

1581, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of legally was in 1581

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Cite this Entry

“Legally.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/legally. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.

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