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
- legally adverb
- postlegal adjective
- prelegal adjective
- pseudolegal adjective
- quasi-legal adjective
- quasi-legally adverb
- unlegal adjective
- unlegally adverb
- unlegalness noun
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; -al 1
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.
Some legal observers have conjectured the 8th Circuit’s reversal of her injunction prompted her to stay her hand, over a concern that the appeals court would overrule her again.
From Los Angeles Times
Hamburg and other cities have now temporarily suspended the salt ban -- but in Berlin legal action by an environmental group stopped this on Wednesday.
From Barron's
Macau is the only place in China where casino gambling is legal, a fact which saw top the world in terms of gaming revenue again in 2025.
From Barron's
Amazon said it planned to appeal the "unprecedented regulatory decision" and would continue to operate its online store as usual while it prepares the legal action.
From Barron's
Crucially, this is a legal issue as well as a financial and familial one.
From MarketWatch
Definitions 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.
