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le·gal (lēgəl)
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adj.
1. Of, relating to, or concerned with law: legal papers.
2.
a. Established or recognized by law: a legal right.
b. Authorized by law: the legal owner.
c. Established legally other than by statute, as by a judicial opinion: a legal authority.
3. In conformity with or permitted by law: legal business operations.
4. Recognized or enforced by law rather than by equity.
5. In terms of or created by the law: a legal offense.
6. Applicable to or characteristic of attorneys or their profession.
7. Acceptable or allowable under official rules: a legal forward pass.
n.
1. Slang
a. A person who is legally authorized to live and work in a country.
b. A person or department providing legal assistance.
2. A legal notice, especially an advertisement.

[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin lēgālis, from lēx, lēg-, law; see leg- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

legal·ly adv.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.