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
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
Maxwell, 63, who recently failed to persuade the Supreme Court to hear an appeal of her conviction and 20-year sentence, intends to represent herself in an upcoming petition challenging the lawfulness of her detention.
—Molly Crane Newman, Mercury News, 4 Dec. 2025
Lawyers with the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office have defended the lawfulness of the arrest and search and are expected to argue that the evidence would have inevitably been recovered during the discovery process ahead of trial.
—Josh Margolin, ABC News, 1 Dec. 2025
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
Maxwell, 63, who recently failed to persuade the Supreme Court to hear an appeal of her conviction and 20-year sentence, intends to represent herself in an upcoming petition challenging the lawfulness of her detention.
—Molly Crane Newman, Mercury News, 4 Dec. 2025
Lawyers with the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office have defended the lawfulness of the arrest and search and are expected to argue that the evidence would have inevitably been recovered during the discovery process ahead of trial.
—Josh Margolin, ABC News, 1 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lawfulness
legitimacy
Noun
-
Mohammadi’s place within that landscape is distinct due to her unique kind of legitimacy at a time when many Iranians are searching not only for opposition to the regime, but for a figure who embodies endurance under it.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
28 Apr. 2026
-
To give the works a veneer of legitimacy, the defendants fabricated detailed ownership histories, claiming the pieces had passed through private collections tied to the artists, or through galleries and corporate collections that no longer exist.—
Daniel Cassady,
ARTnews.com,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lawfulness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lawfulness. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
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