as in legitimate
permitted by law
hunting is a lawful activity only if you have the proper license
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Recent Examples of lawful
The driver's lawyers have called on the Justice Department to investigate the incident after prosecutors said the officer's actions were lawful.
—
Christopher Cann, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025
In theory, those who could demonstrate lawful presence were released, while others — more than 2,800 — were detained.
—Noah Feldman, Mercury News, 10 Sep. 2025
Schrank also told reporters at the site on Friday that some U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents had been detained in the raid and were later released.
—Rebecca Schneid, Time, 6 Sep. 2025
The incident raises questions about enforcement practices and the treatment of lawful permanent residents in routine encounters with federal agents.
—Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lawful
Christopher Cann, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025
In theory, those who could demonstrate lawful presence were released, while others — more than 2,800 — were detained.
—Noah Feldman, Mercury News, 10 Sep. 2025
Schrank also told reporters at the site on Friday that some U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents had been detained in the raid and were later released.
—Rebecca Schneid, Time, 6 Sep. 2025
The incident raises questions about enforcement practices and the treatment of lawful permanent residents in routine encounters with federal agents.
—Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lawful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lawful
Adjective
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Slater goes deep twice The list of batters who can claim legitimate ownage against Kershaw is small.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
20 Sep. 2025
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Unconventional methods drew criticism, but the transition from outsiders to trusted advisors showed that hacking skills can evolve into legitimate expertise.—
Chris Wysopal,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Yet, not everyone believes the administration’s action was legal.—
Kevin R. Kosar,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Sep. 2025
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In December 2024, Syed’s legal team filed a motion to reduce his life sentence under Maryland's Juvenile Restoration Act, as Syed was not yet 18 at the time of the crime.—
Erin Jensen,
USA Today,
19 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lawful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lawful. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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