lawfulness
/ˈlɔːflnəs/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈlɔːflnəs/ (ame, ipa) · /-fəlnə̇s/ (ame, mw)
lawfulness — noun
1. the state in which an action, order, or arrangement is permitted by the rules of
the state in which an action, order, or arrangement is permitted by the rules of a country's legal system and can be defended in court.
The judges debated the lawfulness of the new tax for over three hours.
collocation: the lawfulness of + noun phrase
Tariq's lawyer questioned the lawfulness of his arrest at the airport.
common pattern: question the lawfulness of an action
A senior judge will review the lawfulness of the police search next week.
Many citizens doubt the lawfulness of the government's new curfew order.
Elena spent her career defending the lawfulness of peaceful street protests.
- legality
near-identical; far more common in everyday and journalistic writing
- legitimacy
broader — includes moral or political acceptance, not only legal permission
- validity
stresses that something meets formal rules and can be relied on; used of contracts and documents more than acts
- unlawfulness
direct opposite; the state of breaking the law
- illegality
more common everyday opposite of lawfulness
文法句型
the lawfulness of + noun phrase
用法筆記
Almost always uncountable and followed by 'of' + the action or order being judged. Subject is typically a court, a lawyer, a judge, or a person formally challenging an act.