Synonyms of legal

legal

adjective

ˈlē-gəl 

1

as in legitimate

permitted by law

the congressman's fund-raising efforts, though arguably unethical, were determined to be legal

Synonyms & Similar Words

• legitimate
• lawful
• justifiable
• regulation
• authorized
• constitutional
• legit
• licit
• allowable
• good
• permissible
• proper
• statutory
• noncriminal
• right
• warrantable
• innocent
• just
• de jure

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• illegal
• unlawful
• wrongful
• illicit
• criminal
• illegitimate
• wrong
• evil
• bad
• immoral
• corrupt
• wicked
• prohibited
• sinful
• guilty
• unauthorized
• forbidden
• unjust
• lawless
• impermissible
• iniquitous
• unconstitutional
• reprobate
• outlawed
• banned
• under-the-table
• under-the-counter
• nonconstitutional

2

as in moral

following or according to the rules

the referee declared it a legal play

Synonyms & Similar Words

• moral
• ethical
• clean
• fair
• honorable
• sportsmanly
• sportsmanlike
• scrupulous
• principled
• law-abiding
• just
• unimpeachable
• irreproachable

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• unfair
• dirty
• foul
• nasty
• wrong
• immoral
• unethical
• unscrupulous
• vicious
• unsportsmanlike
• unprincipled
• unrighteous

Synonym Chooser

How is the word legal different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of legal are lawful, legitimate, and licit. While all these words mean "being in accordance with law," legal applies to what is sanctioned by law or in conformity with the law, especially as it is written or administered by the courts.

legal residents of the state

When can lawful be used instead of legal?

The meanings of lawful and legal largely overlap; however, lawful may apply to conformity with law of any sort (such as natural, divine, common, or canon).

the lawful sovereign

Where would legitimate be a reasonable alternative to legal?

In some situations, the words legitimate and legal are roughly equivalent. However, legitimate may apply to a legal right or status but also, in extended use, to a right or status supported by tradition, custom, or accepted standards.

a perfectly legitimate question about taxes

When would licit be a good substitute for legal?

The words licit and legal can be used in similar contexts, but licit applies to a strict conformity to the provisions of the law and applies especially to what is regulated by law.

the licit use of drugs by doctors

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of legal

Their multimillion-dollar media deals with Netflix and Spotify have dried up and Harry is potentially facing millions of dollars in legal fees after losing his privacy case against the Daily Mail. — Martha Ross, Mercury News, 22 Aug. 2026

Two of the four officers who arrested Miller also initiated the violent and viral 2023 arrest of Bojangles employees who were smoking legal hemp at a Steele Creek bus stop in 2023. — Charlotte Observer, 22 Aug. 2026

The American public distrusts its legal institutions and media outlets, creating a vacuum in which wild conjecture can bloom. — Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2026

Trump’s legal team asked the court on Friday to toss BBC’s motion as the case proceeds. — Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 22 Aug. 2026

Phrases Containing legal

• legal eagle
• legal tender