legal

[lee-guhl] / ˈli gəl /

ADJECTIVE

allowable, permissible

Synonyms

STRONGEST

constitutional contractual fair juridical lawful legitimate proper statutory valid

WEAK

acknowledged allowed authorized card-carrying chartered clean condign decreed due enforceable enforced enjoined forensic granted innocent judged judicial just justifiable justified legalized legit licit on the level on the up and up ordained passed precedented prescribed protected right rightful sanctioned sound straight sure-enough warranted within the law

Antonyms

STRONGEST

illegal illegitimate invalid unacceptable unlawful

WEAK

illicit wrong

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.

The government has managed to cut legal immigration sharply in the past two years, but illegal crossings remain close to historic levels.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 23, 2026

There are currently more than a million legal immigrants waiting for approval on their adjustment of status green card applications, according to the Cato Institute's director of immigration studies.

From BBC • May 23, 2026

"I will not have a legal mistake by a single judge silence the voices of hundreds of thousands of Albertans," Smith said.

From BBC • May 22, 2026

The suit alleged the singer should have known she was profiting off embezzled funds linked to the sprawling case against her ex-husband, former L.A. legal heavyweight Tom Girardi, and his firm Girardi Keese.

From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026

At other times, Daniel Ellsberg hunched over a legal pad, making notes for his lawyers.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin

Vocabulary lists containing legal

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