as in legitimacy
the quality or state of being legal
the lawyers had to work for weeks to determine the lawfulness of the proposed contract
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of lawfulness
The administration now plans to seek a full review next term on the lawfulness of the executive order itself.
—
Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Aug. 2025
The High Court of Justice in London dismissed claims from the Wikimedia Foundation, which challenged the lawfulness of the categorization system used to determine which sites must comply with obligations.
—Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 11 Aug. 2025
Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Aug. 2025
The High Court of Justice in London dismissed claims from the Wikimedia Foundation, which challenged the lawfulness of the categorization system used to determine which sites must comply with obligations.
—Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 11 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lawfulness
legitimacy
Noun
-
Last year’s presidential election, which let to Nicolás Maduro remaining in power, was widely criticized in the Western Hemisphere for lacking credibility and legitimacy.—
Syra Ortiz Blanes,
Miami Herald,
18 Sep. 2025
-
The industry groups also dismissed Shein’s partnership with French retailer Pimkie as a facade to provide legitimacy to the Chinese giant.—
Rhonda Richford,
Footwear News,
18 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lawfulness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lawfulness. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share