Word family noun legality ≠ illegality legalization legalese illegal adjective legal ≠ illegal legalistic verb legalize adverb legally ≠ illegally
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishlegalle‧gal /ˈliːɡəl/ ●●● S2 W1 AWL adjective 1 LEGALif something is legal, you are allowed to do it or have to do it by law OPP illegal What the company has done is perfectly legal. plans to make the carrying of identity cards a legal requirement He had twice the legal limit of alcohol in his bloodstream. a pressure group that is campaigning to make cannabis legal2 [only before noun]LEGAL concerned with or relating to the law free legal advice a costly legal dispute the Scottish legal systemthe legal profession (=lawyers)3 → legal action/proceedingsExamples from the Corpus
legal• This trade in foreign currency is perfectly legal.• Office betting pools are not legal.• Some relatives are now considering legal action.• Mr Wade hid his legal acumen behind a cigar-chewing country-boy manner and a thick East Texas drawl.• People on low salaries can get free legal advice.• He has refused, arguing that a definitive legal answer would split the country irrevocably.• Mitchell won a $700 legal award against her ex-landlord.• a long legal battle• Neither side wanted a long and expensive legal battle.• the legal duties of a parent• The school board has the same legal duty to bargain in good faith as the union does.• The American government does not pay the legal fees of Americans who are arrested abroad.• Over 3,000 gay couples have married since it became legal for them to do so last year.• Divorce finally became legal in 1992.• The alcohol content of his blood was three times over the legal limit.• She now become the legal owner of the land.• The legal procedures may be improved, but they are bound to remain vulnerable to an erroneous police case.• The clerk to the court will reject any document that does not meet the legal requirements.• Consumers have the legal right to demand their money back if a product is faulty.• Some markets, and many fairs, were important and regular activities without any apparent legal status.• the legal system• In Maastricht, Dutch Guilders, Deutschmarks and Belgian Francs are all considered legal tender.• The legal title to freehold or leasehold premises can only be held by a maximum of four persons.legal limit• Company officials insist that emissions from the combustion of the tyres will not remain within legal limits.• Fines for speeding range from $ 57. 60 to $ 360, depending on how much drivers exceed the legal limits.• Male speaker Most of the tyres we change are worn to the legal limit.• There was no apparent reason to administer the drug, although the quantities involved were not above the legal limits.• An autopsy revealed alcohol in his blood above the legal limit in Oregon.• The legal limit in Washington is. 10.• The legal limit is. 08 and his blood alcohol was. 09.• Ferguson, who was more than twice over the legal limit, pleaded guilty and was ordered to pay £25 prosecution costs.legal advice• From the beginning of this century there was a growing awareness of the need for legal advice.• The decisions taken are taken on legal advice.• The following notes should not, therefore, be relied upon as a substitute for detailed legal advice.• You also get free legal advice and help with insurance claims.• He claimed he should have sought legal advice before wrongfully using tax-exempt foundations to finance a televised college course.• As he left court he said only that he would be seeking legal advice on a compensation claim.• We propose to deal with abuses and to ensure that asylum seekers have the free legal advice that they need.• In his spare time, Grigsby gave legal advice to the Black Panthers.From Longman Business Dictionarylegalle‧gal /ˈliːgəl/ adjectiveLAW [only before a noun]1relating to or involving the lawIt would be impossible to get control of the company without a long legal fight.the country’s legal system (=courts, lawyers, judges etc)reliable legal advice2allowed, ordered, or approved by the lawThe legal speed limit is 30 mph.The court decided that the transfer of pension funds is legal, but ex-workers are launching an appeal.Origin legal (1400-1500) French Latin legalis, from lex “law” 