legally

/ˈliːɡəli/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈliːɡəli/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈlē-gə-lē/ (ame, mw)

legally — adverb

1. acting or occurring in compliance with legal rules — doing what the law says you

1.副詞B2
釋義

acting or occurring in compliance with legal rules — doing what the law says you may or must do, rather than what it forbids.

例句

Tunde legally registered his new company with the city council last month.

legally + verb of compliance (register a business)

The factory must legally treat all waste water before releasing it into the river.

同義詞
  • lawfully

    identical in meaning but slightly more formal; common in official documents

  • legitimately

    broader meaning — can also describe something that is morally or logically acceptable, not just legal

反義詞
  • illegally

    direct opposite; describes actions that break the law

  • unlawfully

    formal synonym of 'illegally', used especially in legal writing

用法筆記

Modifies verbs describing actions that are subject to legal rules. The focus is on whether the action itself follows the law. Common verb partners: 'act,' 'operate,' 'register,' 'park,' 'hire,' 'vote.'

常見錯誤

❌She legally drove to work every day.
✅She drove to work within the speed limit, so she was driving legally.
💡'Legally' with a bare action verb is vague; add context showing compliance with a specific legal rule.

2. when considered or judged according to the system of law, regardless of whether

2.副詞B2
釋義

when considered or judged according to the system of law, regardless of whether something is morally right, practically fair, or socially acceptable in other ways.

例句

Legally, the old contract was still binding even though both sides wanted to change it.

sentence-initial Legally, + contrast clause

João is legally an adult at age eighteen even if he still lives with his parents.

legally + adjective (is an adult at a certain age)

同義詞
反義詞
  • morally

    contrasts with 'legally' to show the difference between what the law says and what is right

  • in practice

    contrasts the legal principle with how things actually work in real life

用法筆記

This sense often appears in contrastive contexts, where the legal position differs from a moral, practical, or emotional perspective. Common with adjectives describing legal status: 'binding,' 'valid,' 'responsible,' 'required,' 'entitled,' 'permissible,' 'obligated,' 'married.'

常見錯誤

❌He is legally the father but he does not act like one.' (fine — this usage IS sense 2)
✅The sentence is actually correct. The error is confusing sense 2 for sense 1: 'legally the father' means 'from the law's perspective, he is the father,' not 'he fulfills his fatherly duties by following the law.