Lawful

a. Forms: 4 laghful, 4–6 Sc. lachful, (5 laffull), 5–6 Sc. lauch(t)ful(l, 6 laufull, law(e)foll, 6–8 lawfull, 6– lawful. [f. LAW sb.¹ + -FUL. Cf. ON. lǫgfullr.]

  1.  According or not contrary to law, permitted by law. Frequent in predicative use.

1398.  Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., XVII. xlviii. (1495), 632. It was not lawfull to defoylle the laurer tree in vnhoneste and vnlawfull vses.

c. 1440.  Promp. Parv., 289/2. Lawfulle, legitimus.

1526.  Tindale, John v. 10. It is the sabboth day, it is not laufull for the to cary thy beed.

1535.  Coverdale, Ezek. xxxiii. 16. In so moch as he doth now the thinge that is lawfull and right, he shall lyue.

1560.  Daus, trans. Sleidane’s Comm., 250. It is lawfull for all men, to save themselves from violence.

1590.  Swinburne, Testaments, 11. By this word lawfull, is excluded … whatsoeuer is contrary to justice, pietie, or equity.

1665.  Manley, Grotius’ Low C. Warres, 739. Upon debate of the matter in the great Council of the Kingdome, and in a lawful manner.

1718.  Lady M. W. Montagu, Lett. to C’tess Bristol, 10 April. He … inquired … whether it was lawful to permit it.

1796.  H. Hunter, trans. St.-Pierre’s Stud. Nat. (1799), III. 642. I shall not examine whether that possession be lawful.

1817.  W. Selwyn, Law Nisi Prius (ed. 4), II. 922. It shall be lawful for the jury … to find a verdict for the plaintiff.

1835.  I. Taylor, Spir. Despot., vi. 249. Constantine’s establishment of Christianity … declaring it to be a … Lawful Religion.

1849.  Macaulay, Hist. Eng., v. I. 567. A lawful military operation.

  † b.  Permissible; allowable, justifiable. Obs.

1599.  Shaks., Hen. V., IV. viii. 122. Is it now lawfull and please your Maiestie, to tell how many is kill’d?

1717.  Frezier, Voy. S. Sea, 69. It seems lawful to believe, that, among the Children of our common Parent, God has formed three Sorts of Colours in the Flesh of Men.

  † c.  Of a disease: ? Normal. Obs.

1610.  Barrough, Meth. Physick, V. xxi. (1639), 318. Foure particular orders to be kept in curing a lawfull Oedema.

  2.  Appointed, sanctioned or recognized by law; legally qualified or entitled. Now chiefly in certain traditional collocations, as lawful heir, king, money, parliament, sovereign, succession, title; also, lawful captive, prey, prize, (to be) lawful game.

a. 1300.  Cursor M., 26903. Þas oþer [plightes] the quilk he bette Bot noght wit penance laghful sett.

1439.  E. E. Wills (1882), 122. xx markes of laufull money.

c. 1440.  Jacob’s Well, 98. Forȝeue þi lawefull accyoun, & seke ferst loue.

1456.  Extracts Burgh Rec. Peebles (1872), 111. Geyf thar was ony lachful ar to that land.

1526.  Galway Arch., in 10th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm., App. V. 402. No carpenter nor masson shall have no workeman but that which shallbe laufull workeman in that sience [sic].

1535.  Stewart, Cron. Scot. (1858), III. 393. His eldest sone … to his place suld succeid As lauchtfull air.

1560.  Daus, trans. Sleidane’s Comm., 20 b. Lawfull succession. Ibid., 243. Yf they have any lawful impediment.

1562.  Winȝet, Cert. Tractates, Wks. 1888, I. 2. Thre Questionis, tweching the lauchful vocatioun of Iohne Knox.

1571.  Satir. Poems Reform., xxvi. 118. He being Crownit in lauchfull Parliament. Ibid. (1581), xliv. 101. That lauchfull pastors of the Kirk sould be depryuit.

1595.  Shaks., John, II. i. 95. Thou hast vnder-wrought his lawfull King. Ibid. (1604), Oth., I. ii. 51. If it proue lawfull prize, he’s made for euer.

1651.  Hobbes, Leviath., II. xxviii. 165. A Banished man, is a lawfull enemy of the Common-wealth.

1763.  Rhode Island Col. Rec. (1861), VI. 359. All mortgages, bonds, [etc.] … wherein the payment of money is … promised, shall be taken and understood to mean lawful money.

1766.  Fordyce, Serm. Yng. Wom. (1767), I. iii. 108. They will consider her as lawful game.

1768.  Blackstone, Comm., III. 69. Prize vessels … condemned in any courts of admiralty or vice-admiralty as lawful prize.

1817.  W. Selwyn, Law Nisi Prius (ed. 4), II. 854. Having no lawful impediment.

1818.  Cruise, Digest (ed. 2), VI. 278. So that my executrix shall pay in good time all lawful debts.

1871.  Freeman, Norm. Conq. (1876), IV. xvii. 54. Himself in his own reading of the law, a lawful King.

  † b.  ellipt. = lawful money, weight. Obs.

1533.  Churchw. Acc. Croscombe (Som. Rec. Soc.), 40. For to delyver the sayd x scheppe so good as they ware or ells xiijs. iiijd. in good and lawfoll.

1778.  A. Adams, in Fam. Lett. (1876), 343. It takes … fifty pounds lawful for a hundred of sugar, and fifty dollars for a hundred of flour.

  c.  Of a marriage: Such as the law permits; and regards as valid. Of offspring: Born in lawful wedlock, legitimate.

c. 1375.  Sc. Leg. Saints, xxviii. (Margaret), 163. I wes borne this towne within, In lauchful bed of folk mychtty.

1513.  Douglas, Æneis, III. v. 23. Helenus, The lachfull sone of the king Priamus.

a. 1548.  Hall, Chron. Rich. III., 49. Makyng much suite to have her joyned with him in lawfull matrimony.

1560.  Daus, trans. Sleidane’s Comm., 35 b. The same … ought nowe to be every where received for lawfull wives. Ibid., 424. Moste men doubted of the lawful birth of his syster.

1600.  Shaks., A. Y. L., III. iii. 71. Truly she must be giuen, or the marriage is not lawfull. Ibid. (1606), Ant. & Cl., III. xiii. 107. Haue I … Forborne the getting of a lawfull Race.

a. 1657.  Sir W. Mure, Hist. Rowallan, Wks. (S.T.S.), II. 249. The great Stewart … invited home againe Elizabeth Mure to his Lawfull bed.

a. 1699.  Lady Halkett, Autobiog. (1875), 1. Constant to the only lawfull embraces of the Queen.

1827.  Jarman, Powell’s Devises (ed. 3), II. 247. In case M. B. should die … without leaving lawful issue of her body.

1885.  Law Rep. 29 Ch. Div. 270. Had been the lawful wife of the testator, and Adelinda his legitimate daughter by her.

  d.  Lawful age, years: the age at which a person attains his legal majority; also, the age at which a person becomes legally competent to perform some act or to hold some office. Lawful day: one in which it is lawful to transact business, or some particular kind of business.

a. 1548.  Hall, Chron., Hen. V., 80 b. Til my sonne come to his lawful age.

1560.  Daus, trans. Sleidane’s Comm., 424. He himselfe was of lawefull yeres.

1708.  Royal Proclam., 11 July, in Lond. Gaz., No. 4456/1. Upon the Tenth Day of October next to come,… if the same be a Lawful Day.

  † 3.  Observant of law or duty; law-abiding, faithful, loyal. Obs.

c. 1375.  Sc. Leg. Saints, ii. (Paulus), 218. For I am cristis lauchtful knycht.

c. 1430.  Hymns Virg., 113. Ech man þat … loueþ a lawful lijf to lede.

c. 1475.  Rauf Coilȝear, 508. Bot as ane lauchfull man my laidis to leid.

1483.  Caxton, Cato, G iv b. It is the souerayn gyfte of god for to haue a good and lawful wyf.

1560.  Rolland, Crt. Venus, I. 581. Lufe is tressonable: Nocht lauchfull, but scho is lamentable.

1642.  J. Marsh, Argum. Militia, 4. Every lawfull Subject is taken to be within the protection of the King.

  † 4.  Pertaining to or concerned with law. Obs.

1387.  Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), I. 35. Lawefulman in þe peple [L. politici in populo].

1631.  Weever, Anc. Funeral Mon., 722. In matters lawfull to depend vpon the pleasure and direction of the Archbishop.

  † 5.  a. quasi-sb.; b. quasi-adv.; c. as an exclamation. Obs.

1502.  Ord. Crysten Men (W. de W., 1506), II. vi. 99. In kepynge faythe, trouth and lawfull for y^e loue of god pryncypally.

1656.  Phillips, Purch. Patt. (1676), 2. That th’ Seller be so old, That he may lawful sell, thou lawful hold.

1787.  Grose, Prov. Gloss., Lawful, Oh lawful case, an interjection, Derb.

1790.  Pegge, Derbicisms (E. D. S.), s.v., Ah lawful, and ah lawful case! exclamations.