# legal

/ˈɫiɡəɫ/ (US) · /lˈiːɡəl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/legal
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. allowed by law

adjective · CEFR B1

allowed or permitted by the official rules of a country.

For teachers: permitted, required, or established by statute or common law.

- In many countries, it is not legal to drive a car without insurance.
- The court must determine whether the evidence was obtained through legal means before it can be admitted into the trial.

### 2. relating to the law

adjective · CEFR B1 · Academic

connected to the law or the work that lawyers do.

For teachers: relating to the system of laws, the administration of justice, or the legal profession.

- You should seek legal advice before you sign a business contract.
- The university offers a comprehensive legal studies programme for students interested in pursuing a career in international arbitration.

### 3. valid in a system

adjective · CEFR B2

following the correct rules of a game, sport, or computer system.

For teachers: conforming to the established rules or syntax of a specific non-judicial system, such as a game or programming language.

- The referee ruled that it was a legal move and the goal counted.
- The compiler rejected the code because the variable name was not a legal identifier in this programming language.

### 4. paper size

adjective · CEFR B2 · American English

a specific size of paper that is longer than standard paper.

For teachers: referring to a paper size measuring 8.5 by 14 inches, commonly used for contracts in North America.

- Please print the contract on legal paper so there is enough room for the signatures.
- The office manager ordered several boxes of legal pads for the attorneys to use during depositions.

### 5. old enough

adjective · CEFR B1 · Informal

being old enough to do something by law, like drinking alcohol or voting.

For teachers: having reached the age of majority or the specific age required by law for a particular activity.

- He finally turned twenty-one, so he is now legal to enter the club.
- The bartender checked her identification to ensure she was of legal age before serving the cocktail.

### 6. the law department

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal

the department in a company that deals with law and contracts.

For teachers: the department within an organisation responsible for providing legal services and ensuring regulatory compliance.

- I need to send this agreement to legal for them to check it.
- After the merger was announced, legal spent several weeks reviewing the intellectual property clauses in the existing employee contracts.

Usage: Usually used as an uncountable noun referring to the team as a whole.

## Examples

- Is it legal to park your car here?
- The company sought legal advice before signing the contract to ensure they were protected.
- While the action was technically legal under the current framework, many critics argued it violated the spirit of the international agreement.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.