legal

/ˈliːɡl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈliːɡl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈlē-gəl/ (ame, mw)

legal — adjective

  • legalpositive
  • more legalcomparative
  • most legalsuperlative

1. relating to the system of rules that a country or community follows, or to the p

1.形容詞B1
釋義

relating to the system of rules that a country or community follows, or to the people who work with those rules and the processes they use.

例句

The company hired a legal expert to review the contract before signing it.

collocation: legal expert

Noor decided to study law because she wanted a career in the legal field.

collocation: legal field

同義詞
  • judicial

    specifically about courts, judges, and legal decisions; narrower than 'legal'

  • law-related

    informal compound adjective; less formal than 'legal'

文法句型

legal + noun

用法筆記

Attributive use (before a noun) is dominant in this sense — the headword is rarely used after a linking verb to mean 'connected with the law'. Use the prepositional phrase 'relating to the law' instead of predicative 'legal'.

常見錯誤

❌He studied legal at university.
✅He studied law at university.
💡'legal' is an adjective; the subject is 'law' (noun).

2. if an action, situation, or thing is legal, the law permits it, so doing or havi

2.形容詞B1
釋義

if an action, situation, or thing is legal, the law permits it, so doing or having it will not result in punishment or a fine.

例句

It is legal to ride a bicycle on most public roads, but some parks do not allow it.

pattern: it is legal to + infinitive

The legal age for driving a car in Japan is eighteen years old.

collocation: legal age

同義詞
  • lawful

    more formal; often carries moral or ethical weight beyond mere permission

  • legitimate

    can mean lawful but also means reasonable or acceptable in a non-legal sense

  • permissible

    more general — can refer to rules of any kind, not just government law

反義詞
  • illegal

    the direct opposite; not permitted by law

  • unlawful

    more formal register than 'illegal'

文法句型

it is legal to + infinitive

legal for + noun + to-infinitive

make + noun + legal

用法筆記

Frequently used with modal verbs and in questions about permissibility ('Is it legal to…?'). The opposite is 'illegal'. Distinguish from sense 1 (OF THE LAW): this sense describes whether something is permitted, not whether something relates to the law in general.

常見錯誤

❌Is this action legal or illegal?' (redundant).
✅Is this action legal?
💡'illegal' is the direct opposite; asking both is unnecessary.
❌The contract is legal.' (ambiguous — could mean valid/permitted or law-related).
✅Best to clarify: 'The contract is legally valid.' or 'This action is legal.

3. describes a size of paper used in the United States and a few other countries, m

3.形容詞B2
釋義

describes a size of paper used in the United States and a few other countries, measuring 8.5 by 14 inches (about 216 by 356 millimetres), which is longer than the standard letter page.

例句

Please print the contract on legal paper so the margins are wide enough.

collocation: legal paper

The lawyer pulled a legal pad from her drawer and began taking notes.

collocation: legal pad

文法句型

legal + noun (paper, pad, size, folder)

用法筆記

Used only before a noun (attributive). This sense is specific to North American office settings; in most other countries, paper sizes follow the A-series standard (A4, A3, etc.). The name comes from the historical use of this paper size for legal documents.

legal — noun