How to Use legally in a Sentence

legally

adverb
  • But that should be done legally.
    — Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
  • Those who come must do so legally.
    — Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
  • Bauer said the city could not legally make such a switch for at least five years.
    — David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Sep. 2025
  • There is no clear answer — at least not legally.
    — Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 15 May 2026
  • That this might be rape, legally speaking, was a brand-new idea.
    — S. C. Cornell, New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2026
  • Right now, there is no cap on the overdraft fees that banks can legally charge.
    — Mary Clare Jalonick, Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2025
  • Now, the part that matters legally.
    — Gary Singer, Sun Sentinel, 25 June 2026
  • Some are here legally, others not.
    — Kate Bartlett, NPR, 25 June 2026
  • Smith legally changed his name in 2019.
    — Tara Molina, CBS News, 26 Jan. 2026
  • How much can Texas landlords legally charge in late fees?
    — Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 June 2026
  • Adults could legally possess it.
    — Peter Su, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026
  • Can pot smokers and other drug users legally own guns?
    — Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 20 Oct. 2025
  • The bill does not take guns away from people who already legally own them.
    — Cindy Camp, Baltimore Sun, 8 Feb. 2026
  • Those agents have shown a lot more restraint than legally required.
    — Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 6 Feb. 2026
  • White seabass must be at least 28 inches long to be legally caught.
    — Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
  • Smith is 20, and not legally allowed to drink.
    — Carolyn Gusoff, CBS News, 6 Feb. 2026
  • It was not made clear at the time if Vivienne had legally changed her name.
    — Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 9 June 2026
  • This wasn't legally self-defense.
    — Peter Van Sant, CBS News, 22 Mar. 2026
  • Others may be able to legally trade more draft picks once the new league year begins.
    — Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
  • How much silver can a person legally own?
    — Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 2 Feb. 2026
  • The pledge is not a legally binding order.
    — Neil Strebig, Memphis Commercial Appeal, 6 Mar. 2026
  • Highly doubt he can legally be evicted.
    — Christina Dugan Ramirez , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2025
  • One man named Kevin legally shot and killed a home intruder.
    — Heidi Yewman, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Sep. 2025
  • Those who are here legally and are not breaking other laws have nothing to fear.
    — Paulina Dedaj, FOXNews.com, 3 Feb. 2026
  • There are a few specific laws that mandate how to legally ride in the state.
    — Shelby Slade, AZCentral.com, 6 Jan. 2026
  • Raw milk can only be legally purchased in the state it’s produced in.
    — Chiara Eisner, NPR, 25 May 2024
  • Very little that comes out of the meetings is legally binding.
    — Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 6 Nov. 2025
  • And many sports fans will resume wagering legally on the games.
    — Ryan Ermey, CNBC, 27 Mar. 2025
  • But, like millions of others, Perez had not been able to do that legally.
    — Nicole Foy, ProPublica, 22 Oct. 2024
  • That means new or rare plants cannot be legally propagated, even for your own use.
    — Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 20 Feb. 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'legally.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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