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
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.
Vocabulary lists containing legal
Common Five-letter Words for Wordle, List 2
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Iroquois Constitution
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Word Generation Weekly - Series 1
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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.
However, this is predominantly where there is a risk of flooding not as a drought-prevention measure - and there is no legal requirement to have them.
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
A spokesperson for Apollo said to The Wall Street Journal at the time: “The legal dispute playing out between two former employees is unfortunate but won’t impact our strategy, businesses, or mission.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026
“She said that they were handling it through the legal process,” Bass told the news station.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026
One of the factors that weighed the most heavily in the court’s decision again was that Indiana was punishing speech about something that was legal and protected in other states.
From Slate ● Aug. 28, 2026
He was subsequently named an amicus curiae in Fischer’s case and sat in on and participated in all of the legal proceedings.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
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.
