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This shows grade level based on the word’s complexity.
This shows grade level based on the word’s complexity.
adjective
permitted by law; lawful: Such acts are not legal.
of or relating to law; connected with the law or its administration: the legal profession.
appointed, established, or authorized by law; deriving authority from law.
recognized by law rather than by equity.
of, relating to, or characteristic of the profession of law or of lawyers: a legal mind.
Theology.
- of or relating to the Mosaic Law.
- of or relating to the doctrine that salvation is gained by good works rather than through free grace.
noun
a person who acts in a legal manner or with legal authority.
Usually legals . a foreigner who has entered or resides in a country legally.
a person whose status is protected by law.
a fish or game animal, within specified size or weight limitations, that the law allows to be caught and kept during an appropriate season.
a foreigner who conducts espionage against a host country while working there in a legitimate capacity, often in the diplomatic service.
legals, authorized investments that may be made by fiduciaries, as savings banks or trustees.
QUIZ
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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 -al1
OTHER WORDS FROM legal
le·gal·ly, adverbpost·le·gal, adjectivepre·le·gal, adjectivepseu·do·le·gal, adjective
quasi-legal, adjectivequa·si-le·gal·ly, adverbun·le·gal, adjectiveun·le·gal·ly, adverbun·le·gal·ness, noun
Words nearby legal
leftwards, left wing, lefty, leg, legacy, legal, legal age, legal aid, legal aid society, legal cap, legal dictionary
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Words related to legal
constitutional, contractual, fair, juridical, lawful, legitimate, proper, statutory, valid, acknowledged, allowed, authorized, card-carrying, chartered, clean, condign, decreed, due, enforced, enjoined
How to use legal in a sentence
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She writes with the ease of a novelist rather than the characteristic precision of a legal scholar.
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Another proposal would prohibit cars from blocking the box at intersections, which is legal in some parts of the state.
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In general, ESG stands for “environment-social-governance” and comprises a set of principles that touches on issues from diversity and board structures to labor relations, supply chain, data ethics, environmental impact and legal requirements.
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Companies don’t share that info, in part because of the concern about legal consequences like the ones Trek is facing now.
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Jeff Kosseff, a former reporter turned lawyer and legal scholar, has emerged as one of the leading experts on the 1996 law and is author of the aptly titled book “The Twenty-Six Words That Created the Internet.”
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The most notorious states are Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, where death is an acceptable legal remedy.
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Weeks retained an unparalleled legal team, which included bitter political rivals Hamilton and Burr.
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What if there were a legal dispute between the foreign investor and his or her Egyptian partners or collaborators?
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However, legal issues are only one of the things standing between an ex-prisoner and a job.
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The Supreme Court eventually stepped in and ended legal segregation in the landmark 1954 decision, Brown v. Board of Education.
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He was guilty of the weakness of taking refuge in what is called, I believe, in legal phrase, a side-issue.
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The legal framework of the State and of obedience to the law in which industrial society is set threatens to break asunder.
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The seizure was made in legal form; the banker, who lost nothing, was bound to comply with it.
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This little book contains many of the legal principles that are in most frequent use, as readers will learn who carefully read it.
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The law only gave you the right to proceed against him to recover money damages for the legal injury.
British Dictionary definitions for legal
adjective
established by or founded upon law; lawful
of or relating to law
recognized, enforceable, or having a remedy at law rather than in equity
relating to or characteristic of the profession of law
Derived forms of legal
legally, adverb
Word Origin for legal
C16: from Latin lēgālis, from lēx law
Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
English word legal comes from Latin lēgālis (“legal”), from lēx (“law”), which ultimately derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *leǵ- (to lie) and its causative form *logʰeye- (to lie down), which started signifying law in the sense of something lied down
Detailed word origin of legal
| Dictionary entry | Language | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| *leǵ- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | to collect, to speak, to leak |
| *leǵ-s | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | |
| *lēg- | Proto-Italic (itc-pro) | |
| legis | Latin (lat) | |
| legalis | Latin (lat) | Law (attributive). Legal. |
| legal | English (eng) | (informal) Above the age of consent or the legal drinking age.. Being allowed or prescribed by law.. Having its basis in the law.. Relating to the law or to lawyers. (countable) A spy who is attached to, and ostensibly employed by, an embassy, military outpost, etc.. (uncountable, US, Canada) Paper in sheets 8½ in × 14 in (215.9 mm × 355.6 mm).. (uncountable, informal) The legal department […] |
Words with the same origin as legal
We know language. Whether we’re discussing the etymology of our agency name or toying around with different ways to use “literally” in a sentence, we enjoy putting language to use and revealing both its secrets and idiosyncrasies. That knowledge and enjoyment comes from a deep appreciation for and understanding of the English language and its history. Two words, “legal” and “loyal,” share a surprising history – one that may shed particular insight into how we understand the concept of trust.
Use Your Imagination
When people think of the word “legal,” they often imagine things like cold Ionic pillars (at the precipice of vast stone staircases), dark oak interiors, mountains of paperwork, gavels (as well as the harsh cracking sound they make), and perhaps the black robes worn by the judiciary. The most human association many people have with the word “legal” may be sketch artist renderings of a criminals on trial in closed-off courtrooms. There’s even a word in English that was created just to describe how aloof and incomprehensible the language of lawyers, contracts, and politics is: “legalese.” We describe documents, systems, and inanimate objects as “legal,” and the word’s connotations are not often positive.
On the opposite side of the linguistic spectrum is a word only 2 letters divorced from “legal.” “Loyal” is a word almost exclusively applied to people, and it embodies much of what we desire in others and strive for in ourselves. The word “loyal” conjures images of chivalrous knights on horseback, of best friends (or even family members) who would do anything for one another, and of soldiers in the line of duty fighting to protect the home they’ve left behind. “Loyal” is a powerfully human word, and while it sometimes bestows honor onto other things – the loyal family dog, perhaps – we don’t speak of “loyal” paperwork or the complex “loyal” system in the United States.
“Legal” and “Loyal”: Twins?
With words that mean such different things, it may come as a surprise that these words are actually etymological twins. In linguistics, we call them doublets: separate words that have arrived into a language from the same place. In the case of “legal” and “loyal,” both words came from the Latin root “legalis.”
A History of the Word “Legal.”
Seeing how “legalis” became adopted as the word “legal” in English doesn’t exactly require a degree in linguistics – the words look remarkably similar. The word “legalis” is a Latin derivative of the word “lex,” which meant “law.” Interestingly enough, the English word “law” – although seemingly similar to the Latin word “lex” – actually came from the Anglo-Saxon word “lagu,” which came from Old Norse rather than from Latin and meant “something laid down or fixed.” This is fitting given that some of the earliest recorded laws – like the Code of Hammurabi – were chiseled into large stones (called stele) and set up in prominent locations for everyone to read.
Thus, the words “law” and “legal” in English come from different linguistic roots. And while the word “law” (and its earlier form “lagu”) was used in written English since the 11th century (and probably much earlier), the earliest uses of “legal” in written English are from the 15th and 16th centuries. This suggests that the word “legal” came into the language during the Middle English period in one of two ways.
The first and most likely is through French. Many people don’t realize it, but French was – ironically – the official language of the courts and government of England from 1066 to approximately 1417 when Henry V began promoting the use of English in the government; before that, the English language had only been officially recognized in the courts as a result of the Pleading in English Act of 1362 after the English populace complained about not being able to understand what was being said for or against them in the courts of law (since French was the language in which trials were conducted). This also illustrates the second possibility for how “legal” came to be used so widely in English: it could have come directly from Latin since all court records were documented in Latin, and most lawyers and government officials could read and write in that language as well as French.
Regardless of how it entered the vernacular, it was in relatively wide circulation among English speakers by the 17th century and has been growing in popularity ever since. In fact, it is the 964th most frequently used word among all the books included in Project Gutenberg and is preceded on that list by commonly-used words like “north,” “expect,” and “twelve” and followed by words like “darkness,” “advantage,” and “taste.”
A History of the Word “Loyal.”
Although it may not look like it, the word “loyal” is also derived from the Latin word “legalis.” In order to understand how, you have to know a little bit about Middle English pronunciation. First, the word “legalis” was adopted into Old French. This was centuries before the printing press was invented and long before any kind of institutionalized language standardization was taking place; thus, in Old French, the word “legalis” was adopted in various forms like “leal,” “leial,” and “loial.” This was a fairly common occurrence in languages before the advent of the printing press; in English, for example, the words “church,” “chirche,” “cherch,” “churche,” “cherche,” “kirk,” and “kirke” all meant the same thing in different parts of England.
Next, the French word “leal” was adopted into English around the 13th century, and it was likely pronounced as “lee-all” (rather than rhyming with “feel,” as it is pronounced today). Early on, the adjective “leal” in English meant something like “fulfills legal obligations.” Within the feudal system, this often meant that someone faithfully performed military service as part of what was effectively a land contract (but that’s a history lesson for another day). Over time as the legal structure of the feudal system broke down, performing military service voluntarily truly became an indication of loyalty rather than simple obligation. Thus, the word “leal” came to mean “loyal, faithful, honest, true.”
About 250-300 years after “leal” became adopted in English, the word “loyal” – also from French and originally from the Latin “legalis” – begins to replace it and become much more popular. For example, in Shakespeare’s works, the word “leal” does not appear at all, but “loyal” and its derivations like “loyalty” appear 76 times.
Why did “loyal” become dominant and “leal” pass into obscurity even though it was in the English language for almost 300 years before “loyal”? This could be the result of several factors. One factor could be the geographical origin of the words. “Leal” may have begun its journey into English in a less-traveled region like Scotland, which is the only place it remains in wide circulation today; like any transient meme, the word may have come in contact with just enough people to subsist but not enough to spread. In contrast, “loyal” may have circulated among a much larger population (or a population of more influential people – like Shakespeare) and become more popular.
An alternate explanation could be the conflation of the two words at exactly the same time that the spelling and usage of the English language were becoming standardized via the printing press and educational institutions. “Lee-all” and “loy-all” may have been pronounced in a remarkably similar way in various parts of England. As works got published and the language became taught, “leal” may have just been “corrected” to “loyal,” thus cementing the word’s dominance in the language. Or, it could have been a combination of both factors.
Loyalty, the Legal System, and Trust.
Among all the books in Project Gutenberg, “loyal” is ranked 3,348th in the list of most commonly used words in English, and although its use in literature has been steady over the past few centuries, it is not nearly as pervasive as the word “legal.”
The proliferation of the word “legal,” particularly in the 20th century, may very well be a result of the concurrent proliferation of legal action – particularly in the United States. From Brown v. Board and Gideon v. Wainwright to Citizens United and Obergefell v. Hodges, the last 100 years have seen some of the most significant legal decisions in American history. It’s no wonder, then, that legal matters would increasingly be at the forefront of English language discourse.
On the other hand, the relative rarity of the word “loyal” perhaps speaks to its value in our society. We admire those who remain loyal to their convictions, we seek out friends who remain loyal to us, and even among those who are more material-minded, there’s nothing more sought-after than customer loyalty.
But loyalty needs to be earned, and this is where “loyal” and “legal” share a deeper relationship. Loyalty is, in many respects, an outcome of trust. We enter relationships of all kinds with basic expectations – whether they are assumed or they are laid out in a contract or warranty. When a company produces something of quality that meets or exceeds our expectations, we’re more likely to remain loyal to that company the next time we make a purchase. We trust them. If a company breaks our trust by not meeting those expectations – or even by causing harm to us – we seek recourse for that breach, and the legal system is founded upon righting wrongs of all kinds. “Loyal” and “legal,” then, are essentially opposite outcomes – when trust is built, loyalty results; when trust is broken, the legal system provides refuge.
As a legal marketing agency, we know what your potential clients expect from law firms – both online and in person. First and foremost, they expect you to deliver quality. From useful, informative news and content to personalized, relevant e-mails or even high-quality videos, we can help you gain the trust and loyalty of potential clients so your legal practice can thrive. Call 888-222-1512 today to learn more about how we can work with you to grow your firm.
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All of my life I have stayed away from violence and the instruments of violence, and have seen a legal, democratic struggle as the only means to achieve change.
Osman Baydemir
ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD LEGAL
From Latin lēgālis, from lēx law.
Etymology is the study of the origin of words and their changes in structure and significance.
PRONUNCIATION OF LEGAL
GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF LEGAL
Legal is an adjective.
The adjective is the word that accompanies the noun to determine or qualify it.
WHAT DOES LEGAL MEAN IN ENGLISH?
Law
Law is a term which does not have a universally accepted definition, but one definition is that law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behaviour. Laws can be made by legislatures through legislation, the executive through decrees and regulations, or judges through binding precedents. Private individuals can create legally binding contracts, including arbitration agreements that exclude the normal court process. The formation of laws themselves may be influenced by a constitution and the rights encoded therein. The law shapes politics, economics, and society in various ways and serves as a mediator of relations between people. A general distinction can be made between civil law jurisdictions, in which the legislature or other central body codifies and consolidates their laws, and common law systems, where judge-made binding precedents are accepted. Historically, religious laws played a significant role even in settling of secular matters, which is still the case in some religious communities, particularly Jewish, and some countries, particularly Islamic.
Definition of legal in the English dictionary
The first definition of legal in the dictionary is established by or founded upon law; lawful. Other definition of legal is of or relating to law. Legal is also recognized, enforceable, or having a remedy at law rather than in equity.
WORDS THAT RHYME WITH LEGAL
Synonyms and antonyms of legal in the English dictionary of synonyms
SYNONYMS OF «LEGAL»
The following words have a similar or identical meaning as «legal» and belong to the same grammatical category.
Translation of «legal» into 25 languages
TRANSLATION OF LEGAL
Find out the translation of legal to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.
The translations of legal from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «legal» in English.
Translator English — Chinese
法定的
1,325 millions of speakers
Translator English — Spanish
legal
570 millions of speakers
English
legal
510 millions of speakers
Translator English — Hindi
कानूनी
380 millions of speakers
Translator English — Arabic
قَانُونِيٌّ
280 millions of speakers
Translator English — Russian
юридический
278 millions of speakers
Translator English — Portuguese
legal
270 millions of speakers
Translator English — Bengali
আইনগত
260 millions of speakers
Translator English — French
légal
220 millions of speakers
Translator English — Malay
Undang-undang
190 millions of speakers
Translator English — German
legal
180 millions of speakers
Translator English — Japanese
合法的な
130 millions of speakers
Translator English — Korean
합법적인
85 millions of speakers
Translator English — Javanese
Legal
85 millions of speakers
Translator English — Vietnamese
hợp pháp
80 millions of speakers
Translator English — Tamil
சட்ட
75 millions of speakers
Translator English — Marathi
कायदेशीर
75 millions of speakers
Translator English — Turkish
yasal
70 millions of speakers
Translator English — Italian
legale
65 millions of speakers
Translator English — Polish
prawny
50 millions of speakers
Translator English — Ukrainian
правовий
40 millions of speakers
Translator English — Romanian
legal
30 millions of speakers
Translator English — Greek
νόμιμος
15 millions of speakers
Translator English — Afrikaans
Regs
14 millions of speakers
Translator English — Swedish
juridisk
10 millions of speakers
Translator English — Norwegian
lovlig
5 millions of speakers
Trends of use of legal
TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «LEGAL»
The term «legal» is very widely used and occupies the 934 position in our list of most widely used terms in the English dictionary.
FREQUENCY
Very widely used
The map shown above gives the frequency of use of the term «legal» in the different countries.
Principal search tendencies and common uses of legal
List of principal searches undertaken by users to access our English online dictionary and most widely used expressions with the word «legal».
FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «LEGAL» OVER TIME
The graph expresses the annual evolution of the frequency of use of the word «legal» during the past 500 years. Its implementation is based on analysing how often the term «legal» appears in digitalised printed sources in English between the year 1500 and the present day.
Examples of use in the English literature, quotes and news about legal
10 QUOTES WITH «LEGAL»
Famous quotes and sentences with the word legal.
I did this within a philosophical framework, and a moral and legal framework. And I have been turned into a cartoon of the greatest villain in the history of lobbying.
If you desire information on some point of law, you are not likely to ponder over the ponderous tomes of legal writers in order to obtain the knowledge you seek, by your own unaided efforts.
FOR a long time the conviction has been dimly felt in the community that, without prejudice to existing institutions, the legal day of weekly rest might be employed to advantage for purposes affecting the general good.
One thing I know from personal experience, judges hate it when parties talk publicly about their cases. There are a lot of things about our criminal legal system that need to be changed, and this is just one of them. Prosecutors know how to play the press. Most defendants don’t.
And Americans realized that native people are still here, that they have a moral standing, a legal standing.
All of my life I have stayed away from violence and the instruments of violence, and have seen a legal, democratic struggle as the only means to achieve change.
As legal slavery passed, we entered into a permanent period of unemployment and underemployment from which we have yet to emerge.
I’m not a lawyer, and maybe I should have used more specific legal language.
President Obama has called for economic and political empowerment of women globally. The Equal Futures Partnership promotes removal of policy, legal, and regulatory barriers that hold women back at local, state and national levels.
Let’s create a legal system that can work.
10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «LEGAL»
Discover the use of legal in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to legal and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.
A valuable compilation, this volume contains Holmes’ most famous speeches and papers from 1885 to 1918.
Oliver Wendell Holmes, 1920
2
The elements of legal style
Offers advice on a variety of expository writing concerns, including grammar, clarity, and persuasive rhetoric
3
Basics of Legal Document Preparation
It also provides the technical skills required for students to prepare each document. The book is divided into three sections with the first consisting of goals, forms, instruments, pleading and general American jurisprudence.
4
A Dictionary of Modern Legal Usage
Bryan A. Garner, an editor, academic and practicing lawyer, has written an accessible, authoritative, and up-to-date guide that will help anyone in the legal thicket to write better.
5
Legal Research, Analysis and Writing
This book is useful as a reference for practicing professionals as well. Important Notice: Media content referenced within the product description or the product text may not be available in the ebook version.
6
Legal Analysis and Writing
Going beyond mere explanations, the book shows readers how to apply concepts to hypothetical situations, draft legal memoranda and correspondence, and scrutinize legal citations and Web research, to develop a thorough understanding of the …
7
Legal Rights: The Guide for Deaf and Hard of Hearing People
Legal Rights covers the entire spectrum of communication issues for deaf and hard of hearing people, from the new rules about interpreters in federal courts to the latest developments regarding relay services.
8
Practical Legal Writing for Legal Assistants
This text is designed to cover all aspects of paralegal writing.
Celia C. Elwell, Robert B. Smith, 1996
9
New Approach to Legal Translation
One of the first attempts to present a comprehensive study of legal translation, this book is an interdisciplinary study in law and translation theory.
10
Legal Writing: How to Write Legal Briefs, Memos, and Other …
A guide to writing for the legal professional. Includes details on quote citing, outlining, memos, and other daily legal tasks.
10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «LEGAL»
Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term legal is used in the context of the following news items.
McCrory’s legal counsel aware of board member interest conflict …
The chief legal counsel for Gov. Pat McCrory knew almost a year ago that the law firm of a North Carolina Board of Elections member had … «WCTI12.com, Jul 15»
Court denies equal work conditions for Palestinians in West Bank …
Under international law, an “occupying country” (in the legal sense, absent the political debate, occupying just means a country that has … «Jerusalem Post Israel News, Jul 15»
Banks won’t work with legal pot shops, owner says — FOX5 San Diego
Medical marijuana is legal in San Diego, but dispensary owners said no bank or insurance company will back them. “We’re projected to make … «fox5sandiego.com, Jul 15»
Legal fight between USC, UCSD could have implications for …
If the legal dispute between the two universities is not settled quickly, it has the potential «to slow progress down and maybe even interrupt» the … «Los Angeles Times, Jul 15»
First-ever legal drone delivery takes place in the U.S. — Mashable
As part of a project called «Let’s Fly Wisely,» medication was delivered to a free clinic run by Remote Area Medical and the Health Wagon in … «Mashable, Jul 15»
Traffic Q&A: It’s legal to park on Tacoma Mall Boulevard curve, even …
But legal it is, and this remains a free country. Park there to enjoy the invigorating exercise, perhaps, of lugging your heavy home-improvement … «TheNewsTribune.com, Jul 15»
Missouri could face legal challenge for shortfalls in public defender …
Anthony Cardarella represents dozens of clients accused of crimes who are considered too poor to pay for the legal help the U.S. Constitution … «Kansas City Star, Jul 15»
Campus health insurance dependent coverage grant requires …
Mark Gergen, a professor at the UC Berkeley School of Law, said it is not a “particularly aggressive example” for the campus to ask for a legal … «Daily Californian, Jul 15»
Molly poses health and legal risks for users — Tallahassee Democrat
Molly poses health and legal risks for users. Karl Etters Democrat staff writer 12:13 a.m. EDT July 20, 2015. ThinkstockPhotos-sb10068474w-001. Group of … «Tallahassee.com, Jul 15»
Legal Aid Society provides $22.7 million worth of free assistance …
Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands and the attorneys who assist them on a pro bono basis handled 7,466 cases for … «Clarksville Now, Jul 15»
REFERENCE
« EDUCALINGO. Legal [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/legal>. Apr 2023 ».
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Discover all that is hidden in the words on 
English[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Borrowed from Latin lēgālis (“legal”), from lēx (“law”). Doublet of loyal and leal.
Pronunciation[edit]
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈliː.ɡəl/
- Rhymes: -iːɡəl
- (US) IPA(key): /ˈliɡəl/
Adjective[edit]
legal (comparative more legal, superlative most legal)
- Relating to the law or to lawyers.
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2013 June 8, “Obama goes troll-hunting”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8839, page 55:
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According to this saga of intellectual-property misanthropy, these creatures [patent trolls] roam the business world, buying up patents and then using them to demand extravagant payouts from companies they accuse of infringing them. Often, their victims pay up rather than face the costs of a legal battle.
-
-
legal profession
-
- Having its basis in the law.
-
legal precedent
-
- Being allowed or prescribed by law.
-
2013 August 23, “Waking life”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8850:
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After 50 years, legal segregation is a distant memory, and race in America is not the unbridgeable chasm it once was. The country has a black president. The sort of comity that King evoked, in which the descendants of slaves and of slave owners “sit down together at the table of brotherhood”, can be found in many places, including the Deep South. The rate of marriage between blacks and whites is rising.
-
-
legal motion
-
- Following the rules or syntax of a system, such as a game or a programming language.
- If you have no legal move, but are not in check the game is a draw.
-
2021, John V. Guttag, Introduction to Computation and Programming Using Python, Third Edition, page 7:
-
Programming languages are designed so that each legal program has exactly one meaning
-
- (informal) Above the age of consent or the legal drinking age.
- (US, Canada) (of paper or document layouts) Measuring 8½ in × 14 in (215.9 mm × 355.6 mm) (also legal-size).
Antonyms[edit]
- (allowed): banned, contraband, disallowed, forbidden, illegal, outlawed, unlawful
- (concerning law): black-market, back-alley
- (over age of consent): underage
Derived terms[edit]
- chief legal officer
- juridico-legal
- legal action
- legal advice
- legal age
- legal agreement
- legal aid
- legal assistant
- legal beagle
- legal blindness
- legal cap
- legal capacity
- legal certainty
- legal code
- legal consequence
- legal cynicism
- legal duty
- legal eagle
- legal effect
- legal entity
- legal fiction
- legal gender
- legal height
- legal heir
- legal hold
- legal holiday
- legal interest
- legal name
- legal notice
- legal pad
- legal person
- legal positivism
- legal recourse
- legal remedy
- legal representative
- legal separation
- legal studies
- legal tender
- legal vacuum
- legal-ese
- legalese
- legality
- paralegal
- street-legal
Translations[edit]
relating to the law or to lawyers
- Arabic: قَانُونِيّ (ar) (qānūniyy)
- Hijazi Arabic: قانوني (qānūni, gānūni)
- Armenian: իրավական (hy) (iravakan)
- Asturian: xurídicu
- Belarusian: юрыды́чны (jurydýčny), пра́ўны (práŭny), прававы́ (pravavý)
- Bulgarian: юриди́чески (bg) (juridíčeski), пра́вен (bg) (práven)
- Catalan: jurídic (ca) m
- Chinese:
- Mandarin: 法律的 (fǎlǜ de)
- Czech: právní (cs)
- Danish: juridisk, retslig
- Dutch: juridisch (nl), rechts- (nl)
- Esperanto: laŭleĝa, leĝa
- Finnish: juridinen (fi), oikeudellinen (fi), laki-, lakimies-, lainopillinen
- French: juridique (fr)
- Friulian: juridic
- Galician: legal m or f
- German: juristisch (de), rechtlich (de)
- Greek: νομικός (el) (nomikós)
- Ancient: νομικός (nomikós)
- Hebrew: משפטי (mishpati)
- Hungarian: jogi (hu)
- Irish: dleathach
- Italian: giuridico (it)
- Japanese: 法的な (ja) (hōteki na)
- Korean: 법적(法的) (ko) (beopjeok)
- Latin: legalis, legitimus (la)
- Latvian: likumīgs
- Macedonian: правен m (praven)
- Mongolian: хууль ёсны (xuulʹ josny), хуулийн (xuuliin), албан ёсны (alban josny)
- Norman: légal
- Norwegian:
- Bokmål: juridisk (no)
- Nynorsk: juridisk
- Persian: حقوقی (fa) (hoquqi), قانونی (fa) (qânuni)
- Polish: prawniczy (pl)
- Portuguese: jurídico (pt)
- Romanian: juridic (ro)
- Russian: юриди́ческий (ru) (juridíčeskij), правово́й (ru) (pravovój)
- Sardinian: giurìdicu, zurìdicu
- Sicilian: ligali
- Slovak: právny
- Slovene: pravniški
- Spanish: jurídico (es)
- Swedish: juridisk (sv), rättsligt (sv)
- Turkish: hukuki (tr), adli (tr), hukuksal (tr), tüzel (tr)
- Ukrainian: юриди́чний (uk) (jurydýčnyj), пра́вний (právnyj), правови́й (uk) (pravovýj)
- Venetian: łegałe
- Vietnamese: luật (vi)
- Welsh: cyfreithiol (cy)
having its basis in the law
- Arabic: قَانُونِيّ (ar) (qānūniyy)
- Hijazi Arabic: قانوني (qānūni, gānūni)
- Armenian: իրավական (hy) (iravakan)
- Asturian: llegal
- Belarusian: зако́нны (zakónny), праваме́рны (pravamjérny)
- Bulgarian: зако́нов (zakónov)
- Catalan: legal (ca)
- Chinese:
- Mandarin: 法定的 (fǎdìng de)
- Czech: právní (cs), legální (cs), zákonný (cs)
- Dutch: juridisch (nl)
- Finnish: lainmukainen (fi), juridinen (fi)
- Friulian: legâl
- Galician: legal
- German: juristisch (de), rechtlich (de)
- Greek: νομικός (el) (nomikós)
- Hebrew: משפטי (mishpati)
- Italian: legale (it)
- Japanese: 法律の (ja) (hōritsu no)
- Korean: 법률(法律) (ko) (beomnyul)
- Latvian: likumīgs
- Macedonian: законски m (zakonski)
- Norwegian:
- Bokmål: rettslig
- Polish: prawny (pl), legalny (pl)
- Portuguese: legal (pt)
- Romanian: legal (ro), juridic (ro)
- Russian: правоме́рный (ru) (pravomérnyj), зако́нный (ru) (zakónnyj)
- Sicilian: ligali
- Slovak: právny, legálny, zákonný
- Slovene: praven
- Spanish: legal (es)
- Swedish: rättsligt (sv)
- Turkish: yasal (tr)
- Ukrainian: зако́нний (zakónnyj), правомі́рний (pravomírnyj)
- Venetian: łegałe
allowed or prescribed by law
- Albanian: please add this translation if you can
- Arabic: قَانُونِيّ (ar) (qānūniyy)
- Hijazi Arabic: قانوني (qānūni, gānūni)
- Armenian: օրինական (hy) (ōrinakan)
- Asturian: llegal
- Azerbaijani: qanuni
- Basque: please add this translation if you can
- Belarusian: зако́нны (zakónny), лега́льны (ljehálʹny)
- Bulgarian: зако́нен (bg) (zakónen), лега́лен (bg) (legálen)
- Catalan: legal (ca)
- Chinese:
- Mandarin: 合法 (zh) (héfǎ)
- Czech: legální (cs), zákonný (cs)
- Danish: lovlig (da), legal
- Dutch: wettelijk (nl), legaal (nl), wettig (nl), legitiem (nl)
- Esperanto: laŭleĝa,leĝa
- Estonian: seaduslik (et)
- Finnish: laillinen (fi), lakisääteinen (fi)
- French: légal (fr)
- Friulian: legâl
- Galician: legal
- Georgian: please add this translation if you can
- German: legal (de)
- Greek: νόμιμος (el) (nómimos)
- Ancient: ἔννομος (énnomos)
- Hebrew: חוקי (ḥuki)
- Hungarian: törvényes (hu)
- Icelandic: löglegur (is)
- Indonesian: legal (id)
- Irish: dleathach
- Italian: legale (it)
- Japanese: 合法 (ja) (gōhō), 法に則った (hō ni nottotta)
- Khmer: តាមច្បាប់ (taam cbap), ស្របច្បាប់ (srɑɑp cbap)
- Korean: 합법적인 (hapbeopjeogin)
- Latin: lēgitimus (la)
- Latvian: likumīgs
- Macedonian: законски m (zakonski)
- Mongolian: хууль ёсны (xuulʹ josny)
- Ngazidja Comorian: -a sharia
- Norman: légal
- Norwegian:
- Bokmål: lovlig (no), legal (no)
- Old English: ǣwlīċ
- Polish: legalny (pl), zgodny z prawem, prawowity (pl), pełnomocny
- Portuguese: legal (pt)
- Romanian: legal (ro)
- Russian: зако́нный (ru) (zakónnyj), лега́льный (ru) (legálʹnyj)
- Serbo-Croatian: zakonit (sh), legalan (sh)
- Sicilian: ligali
- Slovene: zakonit
- Spanish: legal (es)
- Swahili: halali (sw)
- Swedish: laglig (sv), legal (sv)
- Thai: please add this translation if you can
- Tibetan: ཁྲིམས་མཐུན (khrims mthun)
- Turkish: yasal (tr), meşru (tr), kanuni (tr)
- Ukrainian: зако́нний (zakónnyj), лега́льний (lehálʹnyj)
- Venetian: łegałe
- Vietnamese: please add this translation if you can
- Welsh: cyfreithlon (cy)
Noun[edit]
legal (countable and uncountable, plural legals)
- (uncountable, informal) The legal department of a company.
- Legal wants this in writing.
- (uncountable, US, Canada) Paper in sheets 8½ in × 14 in (215.9 mm × 355.6 mm).
- (countable) A spy who is attached to, and ostensibly employed by, an embassy, military outpost, etc.
- (countable, informal, US) Somebody who immigrated lawfully.
- Antonyms: illegal, undocumented
Derived terms[edit]
- legal-size
Anagrams[edit]
- Galle, egall
Catalan[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Borrowed from Latin lēgālis. Compare the inherited doublet lleial.
Pronunciation[edit]
- (Balearic, Central) IPA(key): /ləˈɡal/
- (Valencian) IPA(key): /leˈɡal/
Adjective[edit]
legal (masculine and feminine plural legals)
- legal
- Antonym: il·legal
Derived terms[edit]
- legalitzar
- legalment
[edit]
- legalitat
- llei
- lleial
Further reading[edit]
- “legal” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
- “legal”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2023
- “legal” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
- “legal” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.
Chavacano[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From Spanish legal.
Adjective[edit]
legál
- legal
Danish[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Borrowed from Latin lēgālis (“legal”), from lēx (“law”).
Pronunciation[edit]
- IPA(key): /leɡaːl/, [leˈɡ̊æːˀl]
Adjective[edit]
legal
- legal (something that conforms to or is according to law)
- legitimate (conforming to accepted rules)
Inflection[edit]
| Inflection of legal | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Positive | Comparative | Superlative | |
| Common singular | legal | — | —2 |
| Neuter singular | legalt | — | —2 |
| Plural | legale | — | —2 |
| Definite attributive1 | legale | — | — |
| 1) When an adjective is applied predicatively to something definite, the corresponding «indefinite» form is used. 2) The «indefinite» superlatives may not be used attributively. |
Synonyms[edit]
- (legal): lovlig
- (legitimate): legitim
Antonyms[edit]
- (legal): illegal
Galician[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Borrowed from Latin lēgālis. Compare leal.
Adjective[edit]
legal m or f (plural legais)
- legal (having its basis in the law)
Antonyms[edit]
- ilegal
Derived terms[edit]
- legalmente
See also[edit]
- lícito
German[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Borrowed from Latin lēgālis (“legal”), from lēx (“law”).
Pronunciation[edit]
- IPA(key): [leːˈɡaːl]
- Rhymes: -aːl
Adjective[edit]
legal (strong nominative masculine singular legaler, not comparable)
- legal
- Antonym: illegal
Declension[edit]
Positive forms of legal (uncomparable)
Further reading[edit]
- “legal” in Duden online
- “legal” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
Indonesian[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From Dutch legaal (“legal”), from French légal, from Latin lēgālis.
Pronunciation[edit]
- IPA(key): [ˈlɛɡal]
- Hyphenation: lè‧gal
Adjective[edit]
legal
- legal, allowed or prescribed by law.
Derived terms[edit]
- melegalkan
- legalisasi
[edit]
- lègalitas
Further reading[edit]
- “legal” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Language Development and Fostering Agency — Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic Indonesia, 2016.
Portuguese[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Borrowed from Latin lēgālis (“legal”), from lēx (“law”). Compare leal, an inherited doublet.
Pronunciation[edit]
- (Brazil) IPA(key): /leˈɡaw/ [leˈɡaʊ̯]
- (Portugal) IPA(key): /lɨˈɡal/ [lɨˈɣaɫ]
- Rhymes: (Portugal) -al, (Brazil) -aw
- Hyphenation: le‧gal
Adjective[edit]
legal m or f (plural legais)
- legal
- Antonym: ilegal
- (Brazil, familiar) cool, nice, good
- Antonym: chato
Quotations[edit]
For quotations using this term, see Citations:legal.
Synonyms[edit]
- (legal): lícito
- (Portugal, cool): fixe
Derived terms[edit]
- legalmente
[edit]
- ilegal
- legalidade
Romanian[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Borrowed from French légal, Latin legalis. By surface analysis, lege + -al.
Pronunciation[edit]
- IPA(key): /leˈɡal/
Adjective[edit]
legal m or n (feminine singular legală, masculine plural legali, feminine and neuter plural legale)
- legal, lawful
Declension[edit]
Synonyms[edit]
- licit
Antonyms[edit]
- ilegal
- ilicit
[edit]
- legalitate
- legitim
Spanish[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Borrowed from Latin lēgālis, from lēx (“law”). Compare leal, an inherited doublet.
Pronunciation[edit]
- IPA(key): /leˈɡal/ [leˈɣ̞al]
- Rhymes: -al
- Syllabification: le‧gal
Adjective[edit]
legal (plural legales)
- legal, statutory
- Antonym: ilegal
- lawful
- (colloquial) legit
Derived terms[edit]
- a efectos legales
- alegal
- cuerpo legal
- depósito legal
- legalismo
- legalista
- legalmente
- medicina legal
- vacío legal
[edit]
- ilegal
- legalidad
- ley
Further reading[edit]
- “legal”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014
Swedish[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Borrowed from Latin legalis.
Adjective[edit]
legal (not comparable)
- legal
Declension[edit]
| Inflection of legal | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Indefinite | Positive | Comparative | Superlative2 |
| Common singular | legal | — | — |
| Neuter singular | legalt | — | — |
| Plural | legala | — | — |
| Masculine plural3 | legale | — | — |
| Definite | Positive | Comparative | Superlative |
| Masculine singular1 | legale | — | — |
| All | legala | — | — |
| 1) Only used, optionally, to refer to things whose natural gender is masculine. 2) The indefinite superlative forms are only used in the predicative. 3) Dated or archaic |
[edit]
- illegal
- legalitet
- legitim
Tagalog[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Borrowed from Spanish legal.
Pronunciation[edit]
- Hyphenation: le‧gal
- IPA(key): /leˈɡal/, [leˈɣal]
Adjective[edit]
legál
- legal
[edit]
- legalidad
- legalisa
- legalisado
Turkish[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Borrowed from French légal, from Latin lēgālis.
Pronunciation[edit]
- IPA(key): /leˈɡɑl/
Adjective[edit]
legal
- legal (being allowed or prescribed by law)
- Antonyms: illegal, yasa dışı
- Synonym: yasal