as in legitimacy
the quality or state of being legal
the lawyers had to work for weeks to determine the lawfulness of the proposed contract
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of lawfulness
That decision found a lower court judge who had sided with Khalil and freed him from a Louisiana lockup lacked the legal authority to weigh in on the lawfulness of the detention.
—
Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 22 May 2026
The ruling follows a legal challenge by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) over the lawfulness of a December 2022 parliament vote.
—Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 8 May 2026
Had the former Wolverines coach and prosecutors failed to negotiate a plea deal and gone to trial, Moore’s attorneys were expected to attack the admissibility of evidence and the lawfulness of a search warrant.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 14 Apr. 2026
The petitions are not contesting removal orders, only the lawfulness of detaining the noncitizen plaintiffs during those proceedings.
—Tasha Carvell, Twin Cities, 3 Feb. 2026
The lawfulness of an order would be determined by a military judge.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2026
Legal experts raised questions about the lawfulness of the operation, which was done without congressional approval.
—Dallas Morning News, 4 Jan. 2026
But the judges also raised serious doubts about the lawfulness of deployments of other cities.
—Kat Lonsdorf, NPR, 17 Dec. 2025
In immigration cases, habeas petitions challenge the lawfulness of continuing to detain an attorney's client.
—Natalie Eilbert, jsonline.com, 10 Dec. 2025
Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 22 May 2026
The ruling follows a legal challenge by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) over the lawfulness of a December 2022 parliament vote.
—Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 8 May 2026
Had the former Wolverines coach and prosecutors failed to negotiate a plea deal and gone to trial, Moore’s attorneys were expected to attack the admissibility of evidence and the lawfulness of a search warrant.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 14 Apr. 2026
The petitions are not contesting removal orders, only the lawfulness of detaining the noncitizen plaintiffs during those proceedings.
—Tasha Carvell, Twin Cities, 3 Feb. 2026
The lawfulness of an order would be determined by a military judge.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2026
Legal experts raised questions about the lawfulness of the operation, which was done without congressional approval.
—Dallas Morning News, 4 Jan. 2026
But the judges also raised serious doubts about the lawfulness of deployments of other cities.
—Kat Lonsdorf, NPR, 17 Dec. 2025
In immigration cases, habeas petitions challenge the lawfulness of continuing to detain an attorney's client.
—Natalie Eilbert, jsonline.com, 10 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lawfulness
legitimacy
Noun
-
The indie media boom struck her as the moment the legitimacy hierarchy definitively broke open.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
9 June 2026
-
Trump has always relied upon interim appointments as much as possible, given their filial piety of the office holder to Trump, as their legitimacy is anchored only by his authority and not Congressional confirmation.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Time,
9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lawfulness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lawfulness. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
