ENGLISH
REFERENCE

legality

n. C / U
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ɫiˈɡæɫəti// UK //liːɡˈælɪti// le·gal·i·ty

n. the state of being allowed or required by law. You use this to talk about whether an action follows the official rules of a country.

n. the quality or state of being in accordance with the law. Often used to discuss the validity of a contract, action, or policy within a specific legal framework.


SIMPLE

The lawyers are checking the legality of the new contract.

CONTEXTUAL

Before launching the service, the company had to confirm the legality of its data collection methods in every country.

COMPLEX

The supreme court was asked to rule on the legality of the emergency measures, specifically whether they infringed upon constitutional protections of individual privacy.

Antonyms
Origin

From legal + -ity.

Usage

Uncountable when referring to the general state of being legal; countable when referring to specific legal requirements or obligations.

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