Synonym Chooser

How is the word legal different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of legal are lawful, legitimate, and licit. While all these words mean "being in accordance with law," legal applies to what is sanctioned by law or in conformity with the law, especially as it is written or administered by the courts.

legal residents of the state

When can lawful be used instead of legal?

The meanings of lawful and legal largely overlap; however, lawful may apply to conformity with law of any sort (such as natural, divine, common, or canon).

the lawful sovereign

Where would legitimate be a reasonable alternative to legal?

In some situations, the words legitimate and legal are roughly equivalent. However, legitimate may apply to a legal right or status but also, in extended use, to a right or status supported by tradition, custom, or accepted standards.

a perfectly legitimate question about taxes

When would licit be a good substitute for legal?

The words licit and legal can be used in similar contexts, but licit applies to a strict conformity to the provisions of the law and applies especially to what is regulated by law.

the licit use of drugs by doctors

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of legal Trump and various White House officials have repeatedly floated the idea of sending U.S. citizens to El Salvador and other places -- something legal experts have said would be flatly unconstitutional. Michelle Stoddart, ABC News, 14 Apr. 2025 Process: Öztürk was shipped from state to state — a journey, critics say, that makes legal challenges of such cases more difficult. Hannah Allam, ProPublica, 13 Apr. 2025 While the legal battle over this controversial use of presidential power is still playing out in the courts, ripple effects already are being felt beyond the boardrooms of the country's most powerful law firms. Ryan Lucas, NPR, 13 Apr. 2025 There wasn’t any discussion of the legal battle on the January earnings call, but that could change this time around. Kevin Stankiewicz,matthew J. Belvedere, CNBC, 13 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for legal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for legal
Adjective
  • In the current political climate in the United States, criticizing Israel for blocking food aid to deliberately starve Palestinian civilians is labeled antisemitic, while advocating for the annihilation of Palestinian children is part of legitimate political discourse.
    Raja Krishnamoorthi, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Apr. 2025
  • Republicans have argued that the Biden CFPB targeted legitimate practices by banks.
    Zach Halaschak, The Washington Examiner, 9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Company executives often frame the technology not just as a moral good, but a moral imperative—a way for humans, who have driven so many species to the brink of extinction, to get square with nature.
    Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 7 Apr. 2025
  • While Democratic lawmakers such as Senator Cory Booker, Congressman Tom Suozzi, Congressman Seth Moulton, and Senator Chris Murphy are urging their party to at least defer to the states on the issue, they’re motivated by political urgency, not a moral commitment to truth.
    Caroline Downey, National Review, 7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • However, this proposal raises profound legal, ethical, and economic questions, illustrated sharply by recent high-profile cases involving companies like Meta and recent lawsuits by French publishers.
    Virginie Berger, Forbes, 15 Mar. 2025
  • Forbes reporters follow company ethical guidelines that ensure the highest quality.
    Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes, 15 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • The clean, bright walls along with colorful rugs and hardwood floors can seem impossible for people living in apartments.
    Kaitlyn Keegan, Hartford Courant, 3 Feb. 2023
  • At the end of the dredging, sediment that’s not placed on the beach could be left in the pit and covered with a layer of clean sand.
    San Diego Union-Tribune, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Feb. 2023
Adjective
  • Seven of those injured in the crash in the 300 block of East 12th Street, including three children, were hospitalized in fair condition, emergency officials said.
    Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2025
  • One tech company boosted trust scores significantly through leadership development focused on fair behaviors.
    Jonathan H. Westover, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Legal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/legal. Accessed 17 Apr. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on legal

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