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.
Fears that AI developers and labs would suck the value out of software, data, legal services and more erupted violently in the stock markets.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026
After he cut her a $25,000 check — which wasn’t legal, as it came from what was supposed to be a charity fund — Bondi shuttered the fraud case against him.
From Salon • Apr. 3, 2026
The stagnation of the Clarity Act is a reminder of the long road to clear legal and regulatory standing.
From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026
The case has unfolded alongside a parallel legal offensive from Baldoni, who filed a sweeping $400-million countersuit accusing Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, the New York Times and others of defamation and extortion.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2026
“There’s going to be legal wrangling. And I’ll have to take whatever acting parts I can get until I’ve gotten everything straightened out.”
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
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.
