English Online Dictionary. What means legal? What does legal mean?
English
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin lēgālis (“legal”), from lēx (“law”). Doublet of loyal and leal.
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈliː.ɡəl/
- Rhymes: -iːɡəl
- (US) IPA(key): /ˈliɡəl/
- Hyphenation: le‧gal
Adjective
legal (comparative more legal, superlative most legal)
- Relating to the law or to lawyers.
- Having its basis in the law.
- Being established, permitted, required or prescribed by law.
- 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.
- (informal) Above the age of consent or the legal drinking age.
- Permitting the use and/or sale of cannabis; in which cannabis is lawful.
- (US, Canada) (of paper or document layouts) Measuring 8½ in × 14 in (215.9 mm × 355.6 mm) (also legal-size).
Antonyms
- (antonym(s) of “allowed”): banned, contraband, disallowed, forbidden, illegal, outlawed, unlawful
- (antonym(s) of “concerning law”): black-market, back-alley
- (antonym(s) of “over age of consent”): underage
Coordinate terms
- (law): equitable
Derived terms
Translations
Noun
legal (countable and uncountable, plural legals)
- (uncountable, informal) The legal department of a company.
- (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
- legal-size
Anagrams
- Galle, egall
Catalan
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin lēgālis. Compare the inherited doublet lleial.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): (Central, Balearic) [ləˈɣal]
- IPA(key): (Valencia) [leˈɣal]
Adjective
legal m or f (masculine and feminine plural legals)
- legal
- Antonym: il·legal
Derived terms
- legalitzar
- legalment
Related terms
- legalitat
- llei
- lleial
Further reading
- “legal” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
- “legal”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2024
- “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
Etymology
Inherited from Spanish legal.
Adjective
legál
- legal
Danish
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin lēgālis (“legal”), from lēx (“law”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /leɡaːl/, [leˈɡ̊æːˀl]
Adjective
legal
- legal (something that conforms to or is according to law)
- legitimate (conforming to accepted rules)
Inflection
Synonyms
- (legal): lovlig
- (legitimate): legitim
Antonyms
- (antonym(s) of “legal”): illegal
Galician
Etymology
Learned borrowing from Latin lēgālis. Compare leal.
Pronunciation
- Rhymes: -al
- Hyphenation: le‧gal
Adjective
legal m or f (plural legais)
- legal (having its basis in the law)
- Antonym: ilegal
Derived terms
- legalmente
See also
- lícito
German
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin lēgālis (“legal”), from lēx (“law”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [leːˈɡaːl]
- Rhymes: -aːl
Adjective
legal (strong nominative masculine singular legaler, not comparable)
- legal
- Antonym: illegal
Declension
Further reading
- “legal” in Duden online
- “legal” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
Indonesian
Etymology
Borrowed from Dutch legaal (“legal”), from French légal, from Latin lēgālis. Doublet of loyal.
Pronunciation
- (Standard Indonesian) IPA(key): /ˈlɛɡal/ [ˈlɛ.ɡal]
- Rhymes: -ɛɡal
- Syllabification: le‧gal
Adjective
legal
- legal, allowed or prescribed by law.
Derived terms
Related terms
Further reading
- “legal” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016.
Portuguese
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin lēgālis (“legal”), from lēx (“law”). Doublet of leal, inherited from the same source.
Pronunciation
- Rhymes: (Portugal) -al, (Brazil) -aw
- Hyphenation: le‧gal
Adjective
legal m or f (plural legais, comparable, comparative mais legal, superlative o mais legal or legalíssimo)
- legal
- Synonym: lícito
- Antonym: ilegal
- (Brazil, colloquial) cool, nice, good
- Synonym: (Portugal) fixe
- Antonym: chato
Quotations
- For quotations using this term, see Citations:legal.
Derived terms
Related terms
Romanian
Etymology
Borrowed from French légal, Latin legalis. By surface analysis, lege + -al. Doublet of loial.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /leˈɡal/
Adjective
legal m or n (feminine singular legală, masculine plural legali, feminine and neuter plural legale)
- legal, lawful
- Synonym: licit
- Antonyms: ilegal, ilicit
Declension
Related terms
- legalitate
- legitim
Spanish
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin lēgālis, from lēx (“law”). Compare leal, an inherited doublet.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /leˈɡal/ [leˈɣ̞al]
- Rhymes: -al
- Syllabification: le‧gal
Adjective
legal m or f (masculine and feminine plural legales)
- legal, statutory
- Antonym: ilegal
- lawful
- (colloquial) legit
- Synonym: legítimo
Derived terms
Related terms
Further reading
- “legal”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10
Swedish
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin legalis.
Adjective
legal (not comparable)
- legal
Declension
Related terms
- illegal
- legalitet
- legitim
Tagalog
Alternative forms
- ligal
Etymology
Borrowed from Spanish legal, from Latin lēgālis. Doublet of leal.
Pronunciation
- (Standard Tagalog) IPA(key): /leˈɡal/ [lɛˈɣal]
- Rhymes: -al
- Syllabification: le‧gal
Adjective
legál (Baybayin spelling ᜎᜒᜄᜎ᜔)
- legal
Related terms
Turkish
Etymology
Borrowed from French légal, from Latin lēgālis.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /leˈɡal/
Adjective
legal
- legal (being allowed or prescribed by law)
- Synonym: yasal
- Antonyms: illegal, yasa dışı