Synonyms of legallynext
1
: in a legal manner : in accordance with the law
a transfer that was not done legally
a drug that can now be legally bought and sold in many countries
2
: from the point of view of law
Legally, she had no claim to the estate.
They were not legally obligated to provide assistance.
a person who is legally blind [=who is blind according to the legal definition of blindness]
legally drunk [=drunk according to the legal definition of drunkenness]

Examples of legally in a Sentence

that's not a move that can be made legally in chess
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Legal counsel for both the city and the School District have confirmed a joint partnership is legally permissible. — Randy Moll, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026 Evans refers to Holmes as his wife, but Holmes told People that the couple never legally married. — Bilin Lin, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2026 Only one copy will ever legally exist, in a protest against the loss of music’s aura in the age of its digital reproducibility, to paraphrase German philosopher Walter Benjamin. — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 24 Oct. 2026 Her disorderly conduct charge does not establish that robots have priority over pedestrians or settle whether her particular protest was legally protected. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for legally

Word History

First Known Use

1581, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of legally was in 1581

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Cite this Entry

“Legally.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/legally. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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