lawful, legal, legitimate, licit mean being in accordance with law. lawful may apply to conformity with law of any sort (such as natural, divine, common, or canon).

LAWFUL definition: allowed or permitted by law; not contrary to law. See examples of lawful used in a sentence.

(Definition of lawful from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Define lawful. lawful synonyms, lawful pronunciation, lawful translation, English dictionary definition of lawful. adj. 1. Being within the law; allowed by law: lawful methods of dissent.

If an activity, organization, or product is lawful, it is allowed by law. It remains lawful to own these swords but not to carry them in public. Hunting was a lawful activity. They are trying to …

Dec 21, 2025 · Adjective lawful (comparative more lawful, superlative most lawful) (law) Conforming to, or recognised by the laws of society. Synonyms: just, legal, legitimate, licit; see …

They went to court to determine the property's lawful [= rightful, legal] owner.

Definition of lawful adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

Things that are lawful are allowed or permitted, like driving after you've gotten your driver's license or baking your neighbor a cake. Neither of these things is prohibited by law, so they're lawful.

Some common synonyms of lawful are legal, legitimate, and licit. While all these words mean "being in accordance with law," lawful may apply to conformity with law of any sort (such as …