Definitions

lawful

[law-fuhl] / ˈlɔ fəl /

ADJECTIVE

allowable, legitimate

Synonyms

STRONGEST

authorized constitutional justifiable legal permissible proper rightful statutory valid

WEAK

bona fide canonical card-carrying commanded condign decreed due enacted enforced enjoined established innocent judged judicial jural juridical jurisprudent just kosher legalized legislated legit legitimatized licit mandated of right official on the level on the up and up ordained ordered passed protected ruled vested warrantable warranted

Antonyms

STRONGEST

illegal illegitimate incorrect unacceptable wrong

WEAK

illicit prohibited taboo unlawful

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The question of whether the U.S. government could use Anthropic’s AI for all lawful purposes is at the core of the company’s ongoing legal dispute with the Defense Department.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026

The Justice Department has defended the initiative as a lawful settlement mechanism, but federal courts have already paused parts of the program as legal challenges proceed.

From Salon • May 31, 2026

“The resources are in place and we remain committed to pursuing every lawful avenue to ensure the Trump Kennedy Center is restored as a national cultural landmark for all Americans to enjoy,” Davri said.

From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2026

Being a green card holder, or lawful permanent resident, allows a person to live and work permanently in the US.

From BBC • May 23, 2026

“Bear Island knows no king but the King in the North, whose name is STARK. A girl of ten, you say, and she presumes to scold her lawful king.”

From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin

Vocabulary lists containing lawful

A Just Cause: Synonyms for "Fair"

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Ten Words related to Citizenship

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You Are Correct! Synonyms for "Right"

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