Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- adj. Being within the law; allowed by law: lawful methods of dissent.
- adj. Established, sanctioned, or recognized by the law: the lawful heir.
- adj. Obeying the law; law-abiding.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- Allowed by law; legitimate; not contrary to law; free from legal objection: as, that is deemed lawful which no law forbids; many things are lawful which are not expedient.
- Constituted or supported by law; capable of being enforced by law; rightful: as, lawful demands; the lawful owner of lands.
- Possessing full legal rights.
- Synonyms Allowable, permissible, regular.
- 1 and Lawful, Legal, Legitimate, Licit, legalized, authorized, constitutional, just. Between lawful and legal there is really the same difference in breadth that there is between law and legislation or statute. (See law.) Legal is exact, meaning conformed to the law of the land, and having little figurative use: as, legal interest; a legal act. Lawful means not opposed to law, primarily to the law of the land, but with a good deal of freedom in figurative extension: it is unlike law, however, in always seeming figurative when carried beyond its primary meaning. Legitimate has as one of its primary meanings the idea of being born under law: as, a legitimate child; its other meanings are kindred. A legitimate inference is one that is drawn in conformity witll the laws of truth or thought. That which is legitimate is generally something made or done in conformity to law, principle, justice, fairness, or propriety. Licit is rarely used except in the phrase licit or illicit; these words apply to that which is lawful or unlawful, or perhaps only legal or illegal, in trade, relations, or especially intercourse, illicit expressing much more opprobrium than unlawful or illegal. See criminal.
Wiktionary
- adj. Conforming to, or recognised by law or rules.
GNU Webster's 1913
- adj. Conformable to law; allowed by law; legitimate; competent.
- adj. Constituted or authorized by law; rightful.
WordNet 3.0
- adj. according to custom or rule or natural law
- adj. conformable to or allowed by law
- adj. having a legally established claim
- adj. authorized, sanctioned by, or in accordance with law
Etymologies
- From Middle English laweful, equivalent to law + -ful, conflated with Middle English leful, leeful, leveful ("according to law, lawful, pertaining to law"). See also leveful. (Wiktionary)
Examples
“It only prohibits *lawful* use, and if the use of weapons for self-defense were prohibited by any law, they would not be a lawful use, and thus not prohibited by this law.”
The Volokh Conspiracy » Academic Officiousness Gets Results:
“All _lawful_ commands would involve a question -- what are lawful commands?”
“While the term lawful access sounds innocuous, the program, which dates back to 2002, represents law enforcement's desire to re-make Canada's networks to allow for lawful interception of private communications.”
“Yet they affected to consider themselves in lawful war against Spain, for the reason that the Spaniards had debarred them from the privileges of hunting in the forests and fishing in the waters of St. Domingo -- thus depriving them of the exercise of what they called their lawful rights.”
The Continental Monthly, Vol III, Issue VI, June, 1863 Devoted to Literature and National Policy
“Shooting an Indian from an and-bush is acting up to his own principles, and now we have what you call a lawful war on our hands, the sooner you wipe that disgrace off your conscience, the sounder will be your sleep; if it only come from knowing there is one inimy the less prowling in the woods.”
“Besigye said he will return to Uganda next week and that he will participate in what he called "lawful, peaceful" protests, though his presence in previous marches has spurred violence.”
“In the fall of 2005, LaRouche put out a sharp warning on the threat of hyperinflationary collapse, which he identified as the lawful outcome of Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan's policy of flooding the world with money. webcast of July 25, 2007, LaRouche declared that the international financial system had reached the breaking point.”
“They were careful to note that their appeal is in lawful alignment with the Chinese Constitution as well as the PRC's Law on Regional National Autonomy.”
The Huffington Post: Tenzin Dickyi: The Question of Linguistic Autonomy for Tibetans
“The reason I need to know the legal basis of this general right not to be put on a government list for engaging in lawful activity is because I want to stop the government pestering me about registering that car I bought.”
The Volokh Conspiracy » Merrick Garland is no friend of the rights of gun owners
“An averment that the blockade was lawful is likely to get short shrift in any Court potentially having jurisdiction other than in Israel.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘lawful’.
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There oughta be a law
there oughta be a..., law, flaw, slaw, cole slaw, lawyer, lawn, Lucy Lawless, lawn ornament, John Law, claw, rollaway and 54 more...
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Legislationie: The Habeas Corpus Act ...
An act for the better securing the liberty of the subject, and for prevention of imprisonments beyond the seas.
WHEREAS great delays have been used by sheriffs, gaolers and other offi...of the peace, the hand and seal of, signed and sealed, jurisdiction, hath, order, recognizances, cognizable, properly, city, county, gaol-delivery and 120 more...
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Words of the Day
glabella, chirotony, nook-shotten, crapehanger, filemot, swirlie, egosurf, lexiphanicism, Ruritanian, stichometry, chrononaut, faldstool and 2041 more...
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