legality
Americannoun
plural
legalities-
the state or quality of being in conformity with the law; lawfulness.
- Synonyms:
- validity, legitimacy
-
attachment to or observance of law.
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Usually legalities. a duty or obligation imposed by law.
-
Theology. reliance on good works for salvation rather than on free grace.
noun
-
the state or quality of being legal or lawful
-
adherence to legal principles
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of legality
1425–75; late Middle English legalite < Medieval Latin lēgālitās. See legal, -ity
Explanation
If you’re wondering about the legality of not paying taxes on your lottery winnings, then you’re wondering if it’s legal not to pay the taxes. The noun legality traces back to the Latin word legalis, meaning law, and it used to indicate the degree to which something agrees with the law. If you question the legality of something, such as a wiretap, what you’re doing is questioning whether or not it’s legal in a court of law. You might hear someone say that a court validated the legality of a particular action. That means the court ruled that the action was legal.
Vocabulary lists containing legality
And Then There Were None
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leg, legis (law)
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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.
"Legality is the Pentagon's responsibility as the end user," the official said, adding that the department "has only given out lawful orders."
From Barron's • Feb. 26, 2026
Duque welcomed Guterres' visit as historic, which "will allow us to see the implementation of Peace with Legality and other programs."
From Reuters • Nov. 24, 2021
Legality aside, if you’re asking me whether it’s the right thing to do, to evict a moderately annoying tenant in the middle of a pandemic—no, it’s not the right thing to do.
From Slate • Mar. 24, 2020
Legality aside, blocking users from a social media account used to disseminate public information is just wrong.
From Washington Times • Sep. 26, 2018
They are not to inquire as to the Justice of the law, its Constitutionality, or its Legality; nor the Justice or the Criminality of the deed—only of its Actuality, Did he do this deed?
From The Trial of Theodore Parker For the "Misdemeanor" of a Speech in Faneuil Hall against Kidnapping, before the Circuit Court of the United States, at Boston, April 3, 1855, with the Defence by Parker, Theodore
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.
