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

Shannon Bream, anchor of “Fox News Sunday” and the network’s chief legal correspondent, recently completed her Bible trilogy.

From Salon • Apr. 18, 2026

Such candid airing of friction is unusual at the court, where personal discord is normally kept behind closed doors and legal disagreements are rendered in the formal language of written dissents.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 18, 2026

A class-action lawsuit against FedEx is asking U.S. courts to impose a legal obligation to provide full refunds, with the law firm behind the suit saying that “a press release is not a legal obligation.”

From MarketWatch • Apr. 17, 2026

Its legal framework already accommodates this approach by distinguishing between several types of property, including small homes, large apartment buildings, and commercial property.

From Barron's • Apr. 17, 2026

Perhaps he thought he could control his illness and didn’t believe that he was dying until he was too ill to think about legal documents.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

Related Words

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