legality

[lee-gal-i-tee]

noun

plural

legalities 

1. the state or quality of being in conformity with the law; lawfulness.

   Synonyms: validity, legitimacy

2. attachment to or observance of law.

3. Usually legalities. a duty or obligation imposed by law.

4. Theology.,  reliance on good works for salvation rather than on free grace.

legality

/ lɪˈɡælɪtɪ /

noun

1. the state or quality of being legal or lawful

2. adherence to legal principles

Other Word Forms

• pseudolegality noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of legality¹

1425–75; late Middle English legalite < Medieval Latin lēgālitās. See legal, -ity

Example Sentences

Unions representing 800,000 government employees asked a federal judge in San Francisco for an emergency order to halt the firings, ahead of a hearing set for October 16 on their legality.

Read more on Barron's

Two major unions, the American Federation of Government Employees and AFL-CIO, had filed a lawsuit challenging the legality of Vought's announced plans to carry out layoffs during the shutdown.

Read more on BBC

The Supreme Court is due to decide on the legality of the global duties, although the administration would still have a way to tariff specific sectors.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

“We decided we’re up for it and we’re going to do something, I would say, on the verge of legality…We hope that the plant is going to come back online sometime soon.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Wade, he suggested, may channel its efforts toward querying the morality and legality of editing human genes in the womb.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• validity