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.
Speech that legally is allowed is clashing against what Kirk's allies deem culturally acceptable, and those in power appear to have taken their side. Taylor Seely, AZCentral.com, 20 Sep. 2025 Industry analysts note that if The View were deemed ineligible for the bona fide news exemption, ABC could be legally compelled to offer equal on-air time to Trump's political opponents. James Bickerton, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Sep. 2025 Like the conspiracy, Wenger’s steroids conviction hinged on the word of a man who was more legally culpable than Wenger himself. Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 19 Sep. 2025 Steinbaugh and Eugene Volokh, a First Amendment scholar and professor of law emeritus at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law, both pointed to Bondi’s misrepresentation of hate speech as legally unprotected and the FCC’s role in Kimmel’s suspension. Angele Latham, Nashville Tennessean, 19 Sep. 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

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Cite this Entry

“Legally.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/legally. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.

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