as in legitimate
permitted by law
hunting is a lawful activity only if you have the proper license
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lawful
The lawful permanent resident – who is also married to a US citizen – now remains at the Louisiana ICE detention center, where he has been held for more than three months after he was arrested outside his apartment on Columbia University’s campus in March.
—
Andy Rose, CNN Money, 13 June 2025
But this is not lawful, because the elements required for him to even have this authority, for his authority to be triggered don't exist.
—A Martínez, NPR, 10 June 2025
Absent any direct incitement, the organizer of a lawful protest can’t be held responsible for protesters’ unlawful acts or for counterdemonstrators’ reactions.
—Bay Area News Group, Mercury News, 9 June 2025
This menacing conduct will instill fear in immigrants who have scheduled future check-ins with ICE officials and their trepidation may deter them from pursuing lawful pathways.
—Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for lawful
Andy Rose, CNN Money, 13 June 2025
But this is not lawful, because the elements required for him to even have this authority, for his authority to be triggered don't exist.
—A Martínez, NPR, 10 June 2025
Absent any direct incitement, the organizer of a lawful protest can’t be held responsible for protesters’ unlawful acts or for counterdemonstrators’ reactions.
—Bay Area News Group, Mercury News, 9 June 2025
This menacing conduct will instill fear in immigrants who have scheduled future check-ins with ICE officials and their trepidation may deter them from pursuing lawful pathways.
—Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for lawful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lawful
Adjective
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Put another way: The more legitimate business opportunities available for athletes, the better.—
Jon Wilner,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 June 2025
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On the other hand, there’s a legitimate anger about the state of the world that needs to be addressed.—
Marta Balaga,
Variety,
8 June 2025
Adjective
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Several legal challenges to this practice are now pending in federal courts.—
Verónica Egui Brito,
Miami Herald,
13 June 2025
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In documents submitted to the court this week, the president’s lawyers argued that such conditions did exist in Los Angeles, making the deployments legal.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
13 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lawful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lawful. Accessed 20 Jun. 2025.
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