legal
Americanadjective
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permitted by law; lawful.
Such acts are not legal.
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of or relating to law; connected with the law or its administration.
the legal profession.
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appointed, established, or authorized by law; deriving authority from law.
- Synonyms:
- sanctioned, legitimate, licit
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recognized by law rather than by equity.
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of, relating to, or characteristic of the profession of law or of lawyers.
a legal mind.
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Theology.
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of or relating to the Mosaic Law.
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of or relating to the doctrine that salvation is gained by good works rather than through free grace.
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noun
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a person who acts in a legal manner or with legal authority.
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Usually legals a foreigner who has entered or resides in a country legally.
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a person whose status is protected by law.
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a fish or game animal, within specified size or weight limitations, that the law allows to be caught and kept during an appropriate season.
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a foreigner who conducts espionage against a host country while working there in a legitimate capacity, often in the diplomatic service.
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legals, authorized investments that may be made by fiduciaries, as savings banks or trustees.
adjective
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established by or founded upon law; lawful
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of or relating to law
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recognized, enforceable, or having a remedy at law rather than in equity
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relating to or characteristic of the profession of law
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of legal
First recorded in 1490–1500; from Latin lēgālis “of the law,” equivalent to lēg- (stem of lēx ) “law” + -ālis adjective suffix; see -al 1
Explanation
Legal means having to do with the law, or following the law. Attorneys work in the legal profession but may not always be so lucky as to find a legal parking spot near their office. A legal scholar is someone who studies law. A legal search and seizure is when the cops come to you house with a warrant. A legal apartment is one that meets building code and is in an appropriately zoned neighborhood. Legal's opposite is illegal, which means against the law.
Vocabulary lists containing legal
Common Five-letter Words for Wordle, List 2
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Iroquois Constitution
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Word Generation Weekly - Series 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He created an AI head of marketing named Maeve, a growth manager named Rhea, a chief of staff, and additional agents for visual design and legal matters.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
“The trial can be a lengthy and arduous process, requiring meticulous preparation and a strong legal strategy,” the law firm notes.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 5, 2026
They talk through the legal state of play heading into Election Day: the Alaska Senate race, California’s ballot segregation case.
From Slate ● Nov. 5, 2026
Roy has promised to take her experience from a years-long legal battle with Meta to aggressively pursue litigation against corporations and landlords for alleged misconduct that harms the average Angeleno.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026
Anya had only ever heard of legal magic use by one group of people.
From Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
