lawfulness

Definition of lawfulnessnext
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

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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 Lawmakers and legal experts questioned the lawfulness of such protections. — ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026 That decision found a lower court judge who had sided with Khalil and freed him from a Louisiana lockup lacked the legal authority to weigh in on the lawfulness of the detention. — Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 22 May 2026 The ruling follows a legal challenge by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) over the lawfulness of a December 2022 parliament vote. — Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 8 May 2026 Had the former Wolverines coach and prosecutors failed to negotiate a plea deal and gone to trial, Moore’s attorneys were expected to attack the admissibility of evidence and the lawfulness of a search warrant. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 14 Apr. 2026 The petitions are not contesting removal orders, only the lawfulness of detaining the noncitizen plaintiffs during those proceedings. — Tasha Carvell, Twin Cities, 3 Feb. 2026 The lawfulness of an order would be determined by a military judge. — Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2026 Legal experts raised questions about the lawfulness of the operation, which was done without congressional approval. — Dallas Morning News, 4 Jan. 2026 But the judges also raised serious doubts about the lawfulness of deployments of other cities. — Kat Lonsdorf, NPR, 17 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lawfulness
legitimacy
Noun
  • The regime transmuted its coercive force into political legitimacy through the spectacular destruction of dissident bodies, restoring reverence for the Eagle.
    — Abdelrahman ElGendy, Time, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Certainly there were clear taboos, beginning with questioning the legitimacy of the Chinese Communist Party and criticizing the country’s central leadership.
    — Howard W. French, The New York Review of Books, 3 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Lawfulness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lawfulness. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

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