legal

[lee-guhl]

adjective

1. permitted by law; lawful.

   Such acts are not legal.

2. of or relating to law; connected with the law or its administration.

   the legal profession.

3. appointed, established, or authorized by law; deriving authority from law.

   Synonyms: sanctioned, legitimate, licit

4. recognized by law rather than by equity.

5. of, relating to, or characteristic of the profession of law or of lawyers.

   a legal mind.

6. Theology.

   1. of or relating to the Mosaic Law.

   2. of or relating to the doctrine that salvation is gained by good works rather than through free grace.

noun

1. a person who acts in a legal manner or with legal authority.

2. Usually legals a foreigner who has entered or resides in a country legally.

3. a person whose status is protected by law.

4. a fish or game animal, within specified size or weight limitations, that the law allows to be caught and kept during an appropriate season.

5. a foreigner who conducts espionage against a host country while working there in a legitimate capacity, often in the diplomatic service.

6. legals, authorized investments that may be made by fiduciaries, as savings banks or trustees.

legal

/ ˈliːɡəl /

adjective

1. established by or founded upon law; lawful

2. of or relating to law

3. recognized, enforceable, or having a remedy at law rather than in equity

4. 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of legal¹

First recorded in 1490–1500; from Latin lēgālis “of the law,” equivalent to lēg- (stem of lēx ) “law” + -ālis adjective suffix; -al ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of legal¹

C16: from Latin lēgālis, from lēx law

Example Sentences

The funding model has sparked concern among some legal experts, who say it may amount to paying for access to the administration.

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Just as they were building momentum, they tell BBC Newsbeat, they were forced to hit pause when a legal dispute erupted with record label House Anxiety.

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His legal team signalled they would appeal both Combs' conviction and the judge's sentence.

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The platform’s AI then synthesizes this information and generates a robust appeal letter that incorporates data from peer-reviewed scientific evidence, legal precedents where insurers have lost in court and relevant policy.

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The latest application by Garbutt's legal team is the fourth they have submitted, with the previous three all having failed.

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Related Words

• constitutional 
• contractual 
• fair 
• juridical 
• lawful 
• legitimate 
• proper 
• statutory 
• valid