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
Derived 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.
Friend of Slate Aliza Shatzman, president and founder of the Legal Accountability Project, writes how this case shows weaknesses that Congress should have fixed long ago with legislation and oversight.
From Slate • Jun. 11, 2026
"There is a shortage of fuel and provisions on board," Polat said, adding: "Legal procedures have been initiated to enable them to leave."
From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026
Stephen Miller co-founded America First Legal and brought his own.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026
The Argentina-based Inter-American Legal Assistance Center for Human Rights, which supports victims of repression in Nicaragua, strongly condemned Rivera's death and said those responsible "must be held criminally accountable".
From BBC • May 31, 2026
Ma and I marched to 50th and Sixth Avenue, where we had arranged to meet the Legal Aid lawyer.
From "The Stars Beneath Our Feet" by David Barclay Moore
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.
