# legality

/ɫiˈɡæɫəti/ (US) · /liːɡˈælɪti/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/legality
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. lawfulness

noun · CEFR B2

the fact that something is allowed by the law.

For teachers: the quality or state of being in accordance with the law. Uncountable in this general sense.

- The company's lawyers are checking the legality of the new contract.
- The court was asked to rule on the legality of the government's decision to bypass the standard bidding process for the infrastructure project.

### 2. a legal requirement

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

a specific rule or duty that you must follow because of the law.

For teachers: a specific legal obligation, technicality, or requirement. Countable in this sense.

- We need to finish all the legalities before we can officially open the shop.
- Beyond the financial negotiations, there are several bureaucratic legalities that must be satisfied before the merger can be finalised.

## Examples

- The lawyers are checking the legality of the new contract.
- Before launching the service, the company had to confirm the legality of its data collection methods in every country.
- The supreme court was asked to rule on the legality of the emergency measures, specifically whether they infringed upon constitutional protections of individual privacy.

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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.