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
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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
-
For Sanjay Krishnamurthi, a returning Unicorns player who studied computer science at San Jose State, Ashwin’s signing provides a new level of legitimacy to what Major League Cricket is trying to accomplish in the States.
-
Ex-Prime Minister Han Duck-soo was initially sentenced to 23 years on charges that included attempting to lend procedural legitimacy to Yoon’s decree by securing its approval through a formal Cabinet meeting, but an appeals court later reduced his sentence to 15 years.
Cite this Entry
“Lawfulness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lawfulness. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
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