legal

"Legal" is a versatile adjective — and occasionally a noun — with a handful of closely related but distinct meanings. It mostly revolves around the idea of law: what the law allows, what belongs to the law, and what meets official requirements. Here are the most common senses.

1adjectiveallowed by law

When something is legal, the law permits it. Nobody will get in trouble for doing it. Think of it as the opposite of 'illegal' — if something is legal, the government says it is okay.

everyday language, law · Modern, widely used

It is legal to drive at 16 in some countries, but not in others.

Selling homemade food at a market is perfectly legal as long as you have the right permit.

The police confirmed that the protest was completely legal.

2adjectiverelating to the law or legal system

Sometimes 'legal' simply describes anything connected to the law — lawyers, courts, documents, processes. It does not say whether something is allowed or not; it just means it belongs to the world of law.

law, business, everyday language · Modern, widely used

She hired a legal team to help her with the contract.

The company faced serious legal problems after the scandal.

He spent years studying legal theory at university.

3adjectivemeeting official or formal requirements

Something can be called legal when it follows all the correct rules and formalities — for example, a document that is properly signed and witnessed. It is valid in the eyes of the law.

law, administration · Modern, widely used

The contract was not legal because it was missing both signatures.

Make sure the document is a legal copy before you submit it.

Their marriage became legal once they registered it at the town hall.

4adjectiveof or relating to lawyers (informal shorthand)

In everyday conversation, people sometimes use 'legal' as a short way to refer to lawyers or the legal department of a company — almost like a noun used as an adjective.

business, everyday language · Modern, widely used

You should run this by the legal team before signing anything.

The legal department reviewed the agreement overnight.

She works in legal at a large bank in the city.

5adjectiveof the standard paper size

In the United States and a few other countries, 'legal' refers to a specific size of paper — longer than the standard 'letter' size. You will see this option when printing documents.

office, printing · Modern, used mainly in North America

Please print the contract on legal paper, not letter size.

The form was designed to fit on a legal-size sheet.

The printer ran out of legal paper, so we used letter instead.