Legality
/lɪˈɡæl.ə.ti/noun
The state of being in accordance with the law.
Did you know?The word ultimately traces back to Latin *lex*, meaning a law or formal decree, the same root behind *legal*, *legislate*, and *legion*—a reminder that law once felt less like paperwork and more like power.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*leǵ-
“to gather, pick out, choose”
Latin
Latin
lex, legis
“law, decree, formal statute”
Late Latin
Latin
legalis
“pertaining to the law”
Old French
Old French
legalité
“lawfulness, legality”
Middle English
English
legalité
“lawfulness or conformity with the law”
Modern English
English
legality
“the state of being in accordance with the law”