legally

adverb

le·​gal·​ly ˈlē-gə-lē How to pronounce legally (audio)
1
: in a legal manner : in accordance with the law
a transfer that was not done legally
a drug that can now be legally bought and sold in many countries
2
: from the point of view of law
Legally, she had no claim to the estate.
They were not legally obligated to provide assistance.
a person who is legally blind [=who is blind according to the legal definition of blindness]
legally drunk [=drunk according to the legal definition of drunkenness]

Examples of legally in a Sentence

that's not a move that can be made legally in chess
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Chinese companies are legally required to comply with government requests for data. Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 15 Jan. 2025 The program for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans was modeled after the program for Ukraine citizens that was launched in April 2022 and has since allowed more than 187,000 Ukrainians to resettle legally in the U.S. Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 15 Jan. 2025 Kate Ruane, director of the Free Expression Project at the Center for Democracy and Technology, says that VPNs would allow users to access TikTok legally. Andrew R. Chow, TIME, 15 Jan. 2025 Moreover, the suit alleges, Musk and his representatives were warned by the broker who handled the purchases that he was legally required to disclose his purchases. Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 15 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for legally 

Word History

First Known Use

1581, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of legally was in 1581

Dictionary Entries Near legally

Cite this Entry

“Legally.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/legally. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.

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