adj
Meaning 1
Relating to the law or to lawyers.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- legal profession
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
legal
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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Received-Pronunciation: /ˈliː.ɡəl/
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US: /ˈli.ɡəl/
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US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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rhymes with -iːɡəl
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/lɪˈɡæl/
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CMU ARPABET: L IY1 G AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
adj
Meaning 2
Having its basis in the law.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- legal precedent
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 3
Being established, permitted, required or prescribed by law.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- legal motion
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: lawful, legitimate, licit, de jure, legal, rightful
Antonyms: banned, contraband, disallowed, forbidden, illegal, outlawed, unlawful, black-market, back-alley
adj
Meaning 4
Following the rules or syntax of a system, such as a game or a programming language.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- If you have no legal move, but are not in check the game is a draw.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 5
Above the age of consent or the legal drinking age.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: offensive, slang, sometimes
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: underage
adj
Meaning 6
Permitting the use and/or sale of cannabis; in which cannabis is lawful.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: US, colloquial
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
name
Meaning 7
A town in Alberta, Canada.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 8
The legal department of a company or organization.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: informal, uncountable
Examples
- Legal wants this in writing.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 9
A spy who is attached to, and ostensibly employed by, an embassy, military outpost, etc.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 10
One who immigrated lawfully.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: US, countable, informal
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: illegal, undocumented
noun
Meaning 11
Of paper or document layouts, measuring 8+1⁄2 × 14 inches (216 × 356 mm).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Canada, US, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 12
Of paper or document layouts, measuring 8+1⁄2 × 13 inches (216 × 330 mm).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Philippines, countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: long bond paper, government legal, foolscap
Antonyms: none provided
adjective
Meaning 13
established by or founded upon law or official or accepted rules
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: illegal
adjective
Meaning 14
of or relating to jurisprudence
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- legal loophole
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adjective
Meaning 15
relating to or characteristic of the profession of law
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- the legal profession
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adjective satellite
Meaning 16
allowed by official rules
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- a legal pass receiver
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adjective satellite
Meaning 17
having legal efficacy or force
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- a sound title to the property
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: sound, effectual
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
Learned borrowing from Latin lēgālis (“legal”), from lēx (“law”). Doublet of loyal and leal.
Named in honour of Bishop Émile-Joseph Legal.
Across languages
Translations
197 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Arabic: قَانُونِيّ (qānūniyy) — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Arabic: قانوني (qānūni, gānūni) — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Armenian: իրավական (iravakan) — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Asturian: xurídicu — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Belarusian: юрыды́чны (jurydýčny) — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Belarusian: пра́ўны (práwny) — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Belarusian: прававы́ (pravavý) — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Bulgarian: юриди́чески (juridíčeski) — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Bulgarian: пра́вен (práven) — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Catalan: jurídic — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Chinese Mandarin: 法律的 (fǎlǜ de) — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Czech: právní — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Danish: juridisk — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Danish: retslig — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Dutch: juridisch — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Dutch: rechts- — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Esperanto: laŭleĝa — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Esperanto: leĝa — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Finnish: juridinen — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Finnish: oikeudellinen — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Finnish: laki- — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Finnish: lakimies- — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Finnish: lainopillinen — relating to the law or to lawyers
- French: juridique — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Friulian: juridic — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Galician: legal — relating to the law or to lawyers
- German: juristisch — relating to the law or to lawyers
- German: rechtlich — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Greek: νομικός (nomikós) — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Ancient Greek: νομικός (nomikós) — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Hebrew: משפטי (mishpati) — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Hindi: विधिक (vidhik) — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Hungarian: jogi — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Irish: dleathach — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Italian: giuridico — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Japanese: 法的な (hōteki na) — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Korean: 법적 (beopjeok) — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Latin: legalis — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Latin: legitimus — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Latvian: likumīgs — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Macedonian: правен (praven) — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Mongolian: хууль ёсны (xuulʹ josny) — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Mongolian: хуулийн (xuuliin) — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Mongolian: албан ёсны (alban josny) — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Norman: légal — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Norwegian Bokmål: juridisk — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Norwegian Nynorsk: juridisk — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Persian: حقوقی (hoquqi) — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Persian: قانونی (qânuni) — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Polish: prawniczy — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Portuguese: jurídico — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Romanian: juridic — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Russian: юриди́ческий (juridíčeskij) — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Russian: правово́й (pravovój) — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Sardinian: giurìdicu — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Sardinian: zurìdicu — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Sicilian: ligali — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Slovak: právny — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Slovene: pravniški — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Spanish: jurídico — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Swahili: kisheria — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Swedish: juridisk — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Swedish: rättsligt — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Turkish: hukuki — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Turkish: adli — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Turkish: hukuksal — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Turkish: tüzel — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Ukrainian: юриди́чний (jurydýčnyj) — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Ukrainian: пра́вний (právnyj) — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Ukrainian: правови́й (pravovýj) — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Venetan: łegałe — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Vietnamese: luật — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Welsh: cyfreithiol — relating to the law or to lawyers
- Arabic: قَانُونِيّ (qānūniyy) — having its basis in the law
- Arabic: قانوني (qānūni, gānūni) — having its basis in the law
- Armenian: իրավական (iravakan) — having its basis in the law
- Asturian: llegal — having its basis in the law
- Belarusian: зако́нны (zakónny) — having its basis in the law
- Belarusian: праваме́рны (pravamjérny) — having its basis in the law
- Bulgarian: зако́нов (zakónov) — having its basis in the law
- Catalan: legal — having its basis in the law
- Chinese Mandarin: 法定的 (fǎdìng de) — having its basis in the law
- Czech: právní — having its basis in the law
- Czech: legální — having its basis in the law
- Czech: zákonný — having its basis in the law
- Dutch: juridisch — having its basis in the law
- Finnish: lainmukainen — having its basis in the law
- Finnish: juridinen — having its basis in the law
- Friulian: legâl — having its basis in the law
- Galician: legal — having its basis in the law
- German: juristisch — having its basis in the law
- German: rechtlich — having its basis in the law
- Greek: νομικός (nomikós) — having its basis in the law
- Hebrew: משפטי (mishpati) — having its basis in the law
- Hindi: विधिक (vidhik) — having its basis in the law
- Italian: legale — having its basis in the law
- Japanese: 法律の (hōritsu no) — having its basis in the law
- Korean: 법률 (beomnyul) — having its basis in the law
- Latvian: likumīgs — having its basis in the law
- Macedonian: законски (zakonski) — having its basis in the law
- Norwegian Bokmål: rettslig — having its basis in the law
- Polish: prawny — having its basis in the law
- Polish: legalny — having its basis in the law
- Portuguese: legal — having its basis in the law
- Romanian: legal — having its basis in the law
- Romanian: juridic — having its basis in the law
- Russian: правоме́рный (pravomérnyj) — having its basis in the law
- Russian: зако́нный (zakónnyj) — having its basis in the law
- Sicilian: ligali — having its basis in the law
- Slovak: právny — having its basis in the law
- Slovak: legálny — having its basis in the law
- Slovak: zákonný — having its basis in the law
- Slovene: praven — having its basis in the law
- Spanish: legal — having its basis in the law
- Swedish: rättsligt — having its basis in the law
- Turkish: yasal — having its basis in the law
- Ukrainian: зако́нний (zakónnyj) — having its basis in the law
- Ukrainian: правомі́рний (pravomírnyj) — having its basis in the law
- Venetan: łegałe — having its basis in the law
- Arabic: قَانُونِيّ (qānūniyy) — allowed or prescribed by law
- Arabic: قانوني (qānūni, gānūni) — allowed or prescribed by law
- Armenian: օրինական (ōrinakan) — allowed or prescribed by law
- Asturian: llegal — allowed or prescribed by law
- Azerbaijani: qanuni — allowed or prescribed by law
- Basque: legezko — allowed or prescribed by law
- Belarusian: зако́нны (zakónny) — allowed or prescribed by law
- Belarusian: лега́льны (ljehálʹny) — allowed or prescribed by law
- Bulgarian: зако́нен (zakónen) — allowed or prescribed by law
- Bulgarian: лега́лен (legálen) — allowed or prescribed by law
- Catalan: legal — allowed or prescribed by law
- Chinese Mandarin: 合法 (héfǎ) — allowed or prescribed by law
- Ngazidja Comorian: -a sharia — allowed or prescribed by law
- Czech: legální — allowed or prescribed by law
- Czech: zákonný — allowed or prescribed by law
- Danish: lovlig — allowed or prescribed by law
- Danish: legal — allowed or prescribed by law
- Dutch: wettelijk — allowed or prescribed by law
- Dutch: legaal — allowed or prescribed by law
- Dutch: wettig — allowed or prescribed by law
- Dutch: legitiem — allowed or prescribed by law
- Esperanto: laŭleĝa — allowed or prescribed by law
- Esperanto: leĝa — allowed or prescribed by law
- Estonian: seaduslik — allowed or prescribed by law
- Finnish: laillinen — allowed or prescribed by law
- Finnish: lakisääteinen — allowed or prescribed by law
- French: légal — allowed or prescribed by law
- Friulian: legâl — allowed or prescribed by law
- Galician: legal — allowed or prescribed by law
- German: legal — allowed or prescribed by law
- Greek: νόμιμος (nómimos) — allowed or prescribed by law
- Ancient Greek: ἔννομος (énnomos) — allowed or prescribed by law
- Hebrew: חוקי (ḥuki) — allowed or prescribed by law
- Hindi: विधिक (vidhik) — allowed or prescribed by law
- Hungarian: törvényes — allowed or prescribed by law
- Icelandic: löglegur — allowed or prescribed by law
- Indonesian: legal — allowed or prescribed by law
- Irish: dleathach — allowed or prescribed by law
- Italian: legale — allowed or prescribed by law
- Japanese: 合法 (gōhō) — allowed or prescribed by law
- Japanese: 法に則った (hō ni nottotta) — allowed or prescribed by law
- Khmer: តាមច្បាប់ (taam cbap) — allowed or prescribed by law
- Khmer: ស្របច្បាប់ (srɑɑp cbap) — allowed or prescribed by law
- Korean: 합법적인 (hapbeopjeogin) — allowed or prescribed by law
- Latin: lēgitimus — allowed or prescribed by law
- Latvian: likumīgs — allowed or prescribed by law
- Lithuanian: teisėtas — allowed or prescribed by law
- Macedonian: законски (zakonski) — allowed or prescribed by law
- Mongolian: хууль ёсны (xuulʹ josny) — allowed or prescribed by law
- Norman: légal — allowed or prescribed by law
- Norwegian Bokmål: lovlig — allowed or prescribed by law
- Norwegian Bokmål: legal — allowed or prescribed by law
- Old English: ǣwlīċ — allowed or prescribed by law
- Polish: legalny — allowed or prescribed by law
- Polish: zgodny z prawem — allowed or prescribed by law
- Polish: prawowity — allowed or prescribed by law
- Polish: pełnomocny — allowed or prescribed by law
- Portuguese: legal — allowed or prescribed by law
- Romanian: legal — allowed or prescribed by law
- Russian: зако́нный (zakónnyj) — allowed or prescribed by law
- Russian: лега́льный (legálʹnyj) — allowed or prescribed by law
- Serbo-Croatian: zakonit — allowed or prescribed by law
- Serbo-Croatian: legalan — allowed or prescribed by law
- Sicilian: ligali — allowed or prescribed by law
- Slovene: zakonit — allowed or prescribed by law
- Spanish: legal — allowed or prescribed by law
- Swahili: halali — allowed or prescribed by law
- Swedish: laglig — allowed or prescribed by law
- Swedish: legal — allowed or prescribed by law
- Tibetan: ཁྲིམས་མཐུན (khrims mthun) — allowed or prescribed by law
- Turkish: yasal — allowed or prescribed by law
- Turkish: meşru — allowed or prescribed by law
- Turkish: kanuni — allowed or prescribed by law
- Ukrainian: зако́нний (zakónnyj) — allowed or prescribed by law
- Ukrainian: лега́льний (lehálʹnyj) — allowed or prescribed by law
- Venetan: łegałe — allowed or prescribed by law
- Vietnamese: hợp pháp — allowed or prescribed by law
- Welsh: cyfreithlon — allowed or prescribed by law
Real reading context