legally

adverb

le·​gal·​ly ˈlē-gə-lē 

1

: in a legal manner : in accordance with the law

a transfer that was not done legally

a drug that can now be legally bought and sold in many countries

2

: from the point of view of law

Legally, she had no claim to the estate.

They were not legally obligated to provide assistance.

a person who is legally blind [=who is blind according to the legal definition of blindness]

legally drunk [=drunk according to the legal definition of drunkenness]

Synonyms of legally

• ethically
• fairly
• morally
• honorably
• fair
• cleanly
• clean

Examples of legally in a Sentence

that's not a move that can be made legally in chess

Recent Examples on the Web

Doctors are expected to process a prescription within 24 – 72 hours, but are not legally obligated to. — Esha Desai, Hartford Courant, 4 Oct. 2026

Indeed, earlier this year the EU created a legally binding 2040 emissions reduction target. — Justin Worland, Time, 3 Oct. 2026

The combined company is also legally required to release at least 30 films a year as part of a settlement agreement over antitrust claims with 12 state attorneys general, including California’s Rob Bonta. — Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026

Because the deal was still in limbo given the antitrust suit, he was not legally allowed to make personnel decisions. — Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1581, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for legally

• illegally