a. [ad. L. lēgālis (perh. through F. légal, recorded from 14th c.), f. lēg-, lēx law. The popular OF. representative of the L. adj. was leial, loial: see LEAL, LOYAL.]
1. Of or pertaining to law; falling within the province of law.
1529. More, Dyaloge, I. Wks. 161/2. Albeit the matter of the precepte is morall and the daie legall, so that it maie be chaunged, yet wil … no man thinke [etc.].
1655. Boyle, Occas. Refl., Introd. Pref. (1848), 29. To make use of a Legal Artifice to hinder … the Publication.
1671. Milton, Samson, 313. [God] hath full right to exempt Whomso it pleases him … From National obstriction, without taint Of sin, or legal debt.
1728. Veneer, Sincere Penitent, Pref. 7. Sharp rebukes and legal severities.
1765. Blackstone, Comm., I. i. 18. The rudiments of legal knowledge.
1818. Cruise, Digest (ed. 2), VI. 238. A system of legal construction had been established in former cases.
1838. Thirlwall, Greece, IV. 135. One Menecles having raised some legal objection to the decree.
1844. H. H. Wilson, Brit. India, I. 241. Debarred from the aid of the legal advisers of the state.
1849. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., iv. I. 452. His legal knowledge … was merely such as he had picked up.
1861. Graham, Eng. Word Bk., Introd. 8. Words of Latin origin relating to legal and military affairs.
1898. Eclectic Mag., LXVII. 603. Protected … by skillful legal advice.
¶ b. Legal man: = Law Latin legalis homo, a man who has full legal rights, being neither outlawed, excommunicated, nor in any way disqualified from appearing in courts of law. So legal person.
1660. R. Coke, Power & Subj., 183. Let the Minister of the Bishop and his Clerks come thither … with legal men of that province.
1689. S. Johnson, Rem. Sherlock’s Bk., 40. The next thing requisite to a Person being Commissionated is that he be a Legal Person.
c. Belonging to or characteristic of the profession of the law.
1819. Byron, Juan, I. clxiv. As he [the attorney] revolv’d the case, The door was fasten’d in his legal face.
1837. Dickens, Pickw., lv. As all this here property is a wery great templation to a legal gen’l’m’n.
Mod. Whether he is a lawyer or not, he seems to have a legal mind.
d. nonce-uses. Observant of law; devoted to law.
1872. Bagehot, Physics & Pol. (1876), 218. Each generation must be born better tamed, more calm, more capable of civilisation—in a word, more legal than the one before it.
1873. Stubbs, Const. Hist. Eng. (1896), II. xiv. 111. Edward was by instinct a lawgiver, and he lived in a legal age.
2. Such as is required or appointed by law; founded upon law; deriving authority from law. Legal charity: relief dispensed under the Poor Laws.
1610. Healey, St. Aug. Citie of God, XXI. viii. (1620), 793. What more legall and fixed order doth any part of nature keepe?
1651. Baxter, Inf. Bapt., 14. It [a marriage] is not compleat till the legall conjunction or solemnizing.
a. 1680. Butler, Rem. (1759), I. 202. Assume the legal Right to disengage From all it had contracted under Age.
168[?]. in Somers, Tracts, I. 273. It is not enough to say that it is a legal House without them; for a House of Commons of forty Persons is a legal House.
1751. Johnson, Rambler, No. 153, ¶ 11. Preparing to take a legal possession of his fortune.
1771. Junius Lett., xliv. 239. There is no … legal power without a legal course to carry it into effect.
1834. Ht. Martineau, Moral, II. 67. There are many who believe that an immediate abolition of our legal charity would cause less misery than its long continuance.
1844. H. H. Wilson, Brit. India, I. 447. All disputes were referable to legal tribunals.
1875. Jevons, Money (1878), 207. A bill of lading entitles the legal holder of it to certain … packages of goods.
b. Legal tender: coin or other money, which a creditor is bound by law to accept, when tendered in payment of a debt. Also attrib.
1740. W. Douglass, Disc. Curr. Brit. Plant. Amer., 6. The Court of France were obliged to ordain, that there should be no other legal Tender but Silver Coin.
1816. Act 56 Geo. III., c. 68 § 12. Whereas it is expedient that the Silver Coin of the Realm should be a legal Tender by Tale,… to any Amount not exceeding the Sum of Forty Shillings.
1833. Act 3 & 4 Will. IV., c. 98 § 6. A Tender of a Note or Notes of the … Bank of England … shall be a legal Tender, to the Amount expressed in such Note or Notes.
1865. H. Phillips, Amer. Paper Curr., II. 49. The Virginia convention had made the continental bills a legal tender.
1870. Act 33 Vict., c. 10 § 4. A tender of payment of money … shall be a legal tender—In the case of gold coins for the payment of any amount: In the case of silver coins for a payment of an amount not exceeding forty shillings…. In the case of bronze coins for a payment of an amount not exceeding one shilling.
1870. N. Amer. Rev., Jan., 8. The objectionable features of legal-tender laws.
c. That is such in the eye of the law.
1840. Dickens, Old C. Shop, xxxvi. Miss Brass … had passed her life in a kind of legal childhood.
d. Such as is recognized by ‘law’ as distinguished from ‘equity.’
1818. Cruise, Digest (ed. 2), I. 386. Having treated of legal and customary estates, we now come to discuss the nature and properties of what are called equitable estates.
1827. Jarman, Powell’s Devises, II. 153. A general devise of real estate … passed the legal estate in lands of which the devisor was mortgagee in fee.
1875. Digby, Real Prop., vii. § 4. 293. The legal estate is vested in the trustee, in trust for the cestui que trust, who has the equitable estate.
3. Permitted, or not forbidden, by law; lawful.
1647. Clarendon, Hist. Reb., I. § 11. It is as legal … for the king to pardon, as for the party to accuse.
1671. L. Addison, W. Barbary, 35. His fourth was a Virgin Daughter of .., which made up the legal number of four, so many being allowed by their Prophet.
1691. Locke, Lower. Interest (1692), 9. The Lender … will rather lend it to the Banker at the legal Interest, than [etc.].
1817. W. Selwyn, Law Nisi Prius (ed. 4), II. 970. If it were a legal capture, they were entitled [to a return of premium].
1844. H. H. Wilson, Brit. India, III. 260. The periods fixed for the regular gaol-deliveries had been protracted beyond the legal limits.
1849. Ruskin, Sev. Lamps, iv. § 14. 106. Those false forms of decoration which are most dangerous in our modern architecture as being legal and accepted.
4. Theol. a. Of or pertaining to the Mosaic law; existing under or founded upon that law. b. Of, pertaining to, concerned with, or based upon the law of works, i.e., salvation by works, as opposed to salvation by faith. † of persons: Upholding the law of works.
a. 1500[?]. Chester Pl., viii. 290. Rites Ceremoniall of the old Testament, with legall obseruacon shall vtterly cease.
1640. J. Dyke, Worthy Commun., 195. Paul … for legall righteousnesse, a man before men unblameable.
a. 1652. J. Smith, Sel. Disc., vii. 349. Under the gospel there are many that do judaize, are of as legal and servile spirits as the Jews.
1659. Pearson, Creed (1839), 184. Neither could he be opposed to the legal priest, as not dying himself, but giving another.
1666. Bunyan, Grace Ab., ¶ 45. These [Ranters] would … condemn me as legal and dark.
1756. Law, Lett. Import. Subj., 154. What folly to tell you, that you are only in a legal state, unless he could prove to you that [etc.].
1786. A. Gib, Sacred Contempl., I. III. ii. 124. A legal bias toward a doing for life, in opposition to a believing on Christ for life.
1884. Fairbairn, Catholicism (1899), 26. Christ without any of the notes distinctive of sacerdotal and legal piety.
5. quasi-sb. Something connected with law; a legal formality; a legal notice. Also in Sc. Law, short for legal reversion: see REVERSION.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 5. Our lorde wolde not that we sholde take the drosse of the lawe of Moyses, neyther the cerymonyes, nor legalles and customes.
1822. Scott, Fort. Nigel, x. If it [the money] is not raised, there will be an expiry of the legal, as our lawyers call it.
1896. Daily News, 30 Dec., 10/2. A Gentleman who has influence with advertisers and is successful in obtaining Prospectuses, Legals, and Auctions.
