From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishlawfullaw‧ful /ˈlɔːfəl $ ˈlɒː-/ ●○○ adjective formal or lawLEGALallowed or recognized by lawSYN legalIt is not lawful to kill or injure a pet animal.
a lawful arrest
his lawful wife —lawfully adverb —lawfulness noun [uncountable]Examples from the Corpuslawful• The police may not interfere in lawfuldemonstrations.• a lawfulmarriage• The FBI will use all reasonable and lawfulmeans to gatherintelligence information.• Protesters must only use lawful methods of opposing the government.• It is lawful to employ someone under the age of sixteen if their parents agree.• 'Do you take this woman to be your lawfulweddedwife?' intoned the priest. 'I do, ' murmured Carlos.It is ... lawful• If the object is to increase the effectivestrength of a tradeunion, it is lawful.• In my judgmentit is lawful.• We can not commit an act of war unless it is lawful.From Longman Business Dictionarylawfullaw‧ful /ˈlɔːfəlˈlɒː-/ adjectiveLAWallowed by lawSYNLEGALThe owner has the right to use the property for any lawful purpose. —lawfully adverba product that has been lawfully produced in a member state of the European Union —lawfulness noun [uncountable]Morrison is challenging the lawfulness of the tax demand.
