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
Though the two are not legally married, the actress has referred to Anderson as her husband since the birth of their first child.
—
Meredith Wilshere, PEOPLE, 4 Jan. 2026
And on top of this, many platforms do not classify their riders as employees, legally absolving the companies from providing the many benefits that the workers are demanding.
—Esha Mitra, CNN Money, 2 Jan. 2026
Think of a waiter or bartender as a salesperson earning a base salary plus commission — but legally guaranteed the minimum wage, with the opportunity to earn much more in practice from tips.
—Andrew Rigie, New York Daily News, 2 Jan. 2026
This map, mostly a county map, shows the percentage of mostly kindergarten-age children who are legally exempt from having to be vaccinated in order to attend school.
—Mustafa Fattah, NBC news, 2 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for legally
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Meredith Wilshere, PEOPLE, 4 Jan. 2026
And on top of this, many platforms do not classify their riders as employees, legally absolving the companies from providing the many benefits that the workers are demanding.
—Esha Mitra, CNN Money, 2 Jan. 2026
Think of a waiter or bartender as a salesperson earning a base salary plus commission — but legally guaranteed the minimum wage, with the opportunity to earn much more in practice from tips.
—Andrew Rigie, New York Daily News, 2 Jan. 2026
This map, mostly a county map, shows the percentage of mostly kindergarten-age children who are legally exempt from having to be vaccinated in order to attend school.
—Mustafa Fattah, NBC news, 2 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for legally
Cite this Entry
“Legally.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/legally. Accessed 7 Jan. 2026.
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