legal

American  

[lee-guhl] / ˈli gəl /

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.

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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 British  

/ 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

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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; 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.

Example Sentences

But the latest development, which could be one of several legal challenges, may delay those compensation payments.

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026

“I’ve never experienced that where you finish a film and then find out you didn’t have the legal rights to tell that story.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026

This could include raising the agricultural minimum wage, increasing the California Employment Development Department’s program oversight capacity, and bolstering legal protections for undocumented farmworkers organizing for better working conditions.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026

There are many theories swirling around for why they have increasingly chosen to abandon their basic duty to legal transparency.

From Salon • Apr. 22, 2026

The third legal problem was that Bobby was being sued by Chester Fox because he’d interfered with the filming of the Icelandic match.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

Related Words

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