legality

/lɪˈɡæləti/ (bre, ipa) · /lɪˈɡæləti/ (ame, ipa) · /li-ˈga-lə-tē/ (ame, mw)

legality — 名詞

1. the condition or quality of an action, thing, or situation being acceptable unde

1.名詞B2
釋義

合法性

被法律允許的狀態

the condition or quality of an action, thing, or situation being acceptable under existing laws — for example, when a business contract, a public protest, or a property sale follows the rules set by a government authority.

例句

Ana checked the legality of starting a food truck before she bought the equipment.

Ana 在購買設備之前，先確認了開設餐車的合法性。

the legality of + noun phrase

The judge ruled that the police search was proper and confirmed its legality.

法官裁定警方的搜索程序正確，並確認了其合法性。

confirm its legality

同義詞
  • lawfulness

    nearly identical meaning; slightly more formal and less common in everyday speech

  • legitimacy

    broader than 'legality' — can refer to moral or social acceptance, not just the law

反義詞

文法句型

the legality of + noun phrase

用法筆記

This sense is uncountable. Frequently appears in the pattern 'the legality of [something]'. Common in news reports, court rulings, and policy discussions.

常見錯誤

❌The legality of the contract is legal' (redundant).
✅The contract's legality was confirmed by the lawyers.
💡'legality' already means 'being legal', so avoid pairing it with 'legal' in the same clause.

2. the specific rules, procedures, and formal requirements that the law demands in

2.名詞C1
釋義

法律手續

法律要求的具體事項

the specific rules, procedures, and formal requirements that the law demands in a particular situation — for example, the paperwork for registering a company, the steps for transferring ownership of a house, or the documents needed for a visa application.

例句

Diego's lawyer explained all the legalities of signing the apartment lease.

Diego 的律師向他說明了簽署公寓租約的所有法律手續。

all the legalities of + noun phrase

Before opening the school, the team worked through the legalities of hiring foreign teachers.

在開辦學校之前，團隊先處理了聘請外籍教師的法律手續。

同義詞

文法句型

the legalities of + noun phrase

用法筆記

Typically used in the plural (legalities) with the definite or zero article. Often paired with verbs like 'handle', 'sort out', 'work through', 'take care of'. Distinguish from sense 1: sense 1 describes a quality (is this allowed?), while sense 2 describes the actual legal steps (what do we need to do?).

常見錯誤

❌We need to finish the legality before we can sell the house.' (treating sense 1 as a countable item).
✅We need to finish the legalities before we can sell the house.
💡when referring to the specific steps and paperwork, use the plural form 'legalities'.