legal

== English == === Etymology === Learned borrowing from Latin lēgālis (“legal”), from lēx (“law”). Doublet of loyal and leal. === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈliː.ɡəl/ (US) IPA(key): /ˈli.ɡəl/ Rhymes: -iːɡəl Hyphenation: le‧gal === Adjective === legal (comparative more legal, superlative most legal) Relating to the law or to lawyers. Coordinate term: equitable Having its basis in the law. Being established, permitted, required or prescribed by law. Synonyms: lawful, legitimate, licit; see also Thesaurus:lawful Antonyms: banned, contraband, disallowed, forbidden, illegal, outlawed, unlawful; black-market, back-alley Following the rules or syntax of a system, such as a game or a programming language. (slang, sometimes offensive) Above the age of consent or the legal drinking age. Antonym: underage (colloquial, chiefly US) Permitting the use and/or sale of cannabis; in which cannabis is lawful. ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === Noun === legal (countable and uncountable, plural legals) (uncountable, informal) The legal department of a company or organization. (countable) A spy who is attached to, and ostensibly employed by, an embassy, military outpost, etc. (countable, informal, US) One who immigrated lawfully. Antonyms: illegal, undocumented (uncountable, Canada, US) Of paper or document layouts, measuring 8+1⁄2 × 14 inches (216 × 356 mm). (Philippines) Of paper or document layouts, measuring 8+1⁄2 × 13 inches (216 × 330 mm). Synonyms: long bond paper, government legal, foolscap (UK) ==== Derived terms ==== === Anagrams === Galle, egall == Catalan == === Etymology === Learned borrowing from Latin lēgālis. Compare the inherited doublet lleial. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): (Northern, Balearic, Central) [ləˈɣal] IPA(key): (Valencia, Northwestern) [leˈɣal] === Adjective === legal m or f (masculine and feminine plural legals) legal Antonym: il·legal ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== === Further reading === “legal”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007 “legal”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2026 “legal” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua. Alcover, Antoni Maria; Moll, Francesc de Borja (1963), “legal”, in Diccionari català-valencià-balear (in Catalan) == Chavacano == === Etymology === Inherited from Spanish legal. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /leˈɡal/, [leˈɡal] Hyphenation: le‧gal === Adjective === legál legal == Danish == === Etymology === Learned borrowing from Latin lēgālis (“legal”), from lēx (“law”). === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /leɡaːl/, [leˈɡ̊æːˀl] === Adjective === legal legal (something that conforms to or is according to law) Synonym: lovlig Antonym: illegal legitimate (conforming to accepted rules) Synonym: legitim ==== Inflection ==== == Galician == === Etymology === Learned borrowing from Latin lēgālis. Compare leal. === Pronunciation === Rhymes: -al Hyphenation: le‧gal === Adjective === legal m or f (plural legais) legal (having its basis in the law) Antonym: ilegal ==== Derived terms ==== === See also === lícito == German == === Etymology === Learned borrowing from Latin lēgālis (“legal”), from lēx (“law”). === Pronunciation === IPA(key): [leːˈɡaːl] Rhymes: -aːl === Adjective === legal (strong nominative masculine singular legaler, not comparable) legal Antonym: illegal ==== Declension ==== === Further reading === “legal” in Duden online “legal”, in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache‎[4] (in German) == Indonesian == === Etymology === Learned borrowing from Dutch legaal (“legal”), from French légal, from Latin lēgālis. Doublet of loyal. === Pronunciation === (Standard Indonesian) IPA(key): /ˈlɛɡal/ [ˈlɛ.ɡal] Rhymes: -ɛɡal Syllabification: le‧gal === Adjective === legal (comparative lebih legal, superlative paling legal) legal, allowed or prescribed by law ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== === Further reading === “legal”, in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia [Great Dictionary of the Indonesian Language] (in Indonesian), Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016 == Portuguese == === Etymology === Learned borrowing from Latin lēgālis (“legal”), from lēx (“law”). Doublet of leal. === Pronunciation === (Northeast Brazil) IPA(key): /lɛˈɡaw/ [lɛˈɡaʊ̯] Rhymes: (Portugal) -al, (Brazil) -aw Hyphenation: le‧gal === Adjective === legal m or f (plural legais, comparable, comparative mais legal, superlative o mais legal or legalíssimo, diminutive legalzinho, augmentative legalzão) legal Synonym: lícito Antonym: ilegal (Brazil, colloquial) cool, nice, good Synonym: (Portugal) fixe Antonym: chato ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== === Further reading === “legal”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026 == Romanian == === Etymology === Borrowed from French légal, Latin legalis. By surface analysis, lege +‎ -al. Doublet of loial. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /leˈɡal/ === Adjective === legal m or n (feminine singular legală, masculine plural legali, feminine/neuter plural legale) legal, lawful Synonym: licit Antonyms: ilegal, ilicit ==== Declension ==== ==== Related terms ==== legalitate legitim == Spanish == === Etymology === Learned borrowing from Latin lēgālis, from lēx (“law”). Doublet of leal. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /leˈɡal/ [leˈɣ̞al] Rhymes: -al Syllabification: le‧gal === Adjective === legal m or f (masculine and feminine plural legales) legal Antonym: ilegal statutory Synonyms: estatutario, reglamentario lawful (colloquial) legit Synonym: legítimo ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== === Further reading === “legal”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025 == Swedish == === Etymology === Learned borrowing from Latin legalis. === Adjective === legal (not comparable) legal ==== Declension ==== ==== Related terms ==== illegal legalitet legitim == Tagalog == === Alternative forms === ligal — superseded, pre-2014 === Etymology === Borrowed from Spanish legal, from Latin lēgālis. Doublet of leal. === Pronunciation === (Standard Tagalog) IPA(key): /leˈɡal/ [lɛˈɣal] Rhymes: -al Syllabification: le‧gal === Adjective === legál (Baybayin spelling ᜎᜒᜄᜎ᜔) legal ==== Related terms ==== === Further reading === “legal”, in KWF Diksiyonaryo ng Wikang Filipino, Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino, 2025 “legal”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, 2018 == Turkish == === Etymology === Borrowed from French légal, from Latin lēgālis. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /leˈɡal/ === Adjective === legal legal (being allowed or prescribed by law) Synonym: yasal Antonyms: illegal, yasa dışı