"lawful" meaning in English

See lawful in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Adjective

IPA: /ˈlɔːfʊl/ [UK] Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-lawful.wav Forms: more lawful [comparative], most lawful [superlative]
Rhymes: -ɔːfʊl Etymology: From Middle English laweful, equivalent to law + -ful, conflated with Middle English leful, leeful, leveful (“according to law, lawful, pertaining to law”). See also leveful. Etymology templates: {{inh|en|enm|laweful}} Middle English laweful, {{suffix|en|law|ful|nocat=1}} law + -ful, {{ncog|enm|leful}} Middle English leful Head templates: {{en-adj}} lawful (comparative more lawful, superlative most lawful)
  1. (law) Conforming to, or recognised by the laws of society. Categories (topical): Law Synonyms: just, legal, legitimate, licit Translations (conforming to or recognised by law or rules): قانوني (qānūniyy) (Arabic), законен (zakonen) (Bulgarian), 合法的 (héfǎ de) (Chinese Mandarin), wettig (Dutch), rechtmatig (Dutch), lainmukainen (Finnish), laillinen (Finnish), légal (French), კანონიერი (ḳanonieri) (Georgian), gesetzlich (German), legal (German), rechtsmäßig (German), törvényes (Hungarian), törvényszerű (Hungarian), löglegur (Icelandic), dleathach (Irish), 合法な (gōhō na) (alt: ごうほうな) (Japanese), lēgitimus (Latin), likumīgs (Latvian), gesetzlech (Luxembourgish), законит (zakonit) (Macedonian), laweful (Middle English), ǣwlīċ (Old English), prawowierny (Polish), prawomierny (Polish), prawomocny (Polish), legalny (Polish), legal (Portuguese), legalizado (Portuguese), legal [masculine] (Romanian), зако́нный (zakónnyj) (Russian), лега́льный (legálʹnyj) (Russian), правоме́рный (pravomérnyj) (Russian), dligheach (Scottish Gaelic), halali (Swahili), laglig (Swedish), berättigad (Swedish), rättmätig (Swedish), yasal (Turkish)
    Sense id: en-lawful-en-adj-j3ziI2z5 Topics: law Disambiguation of 'conforming to or recognised by law or rules': 76 18 6
  2. Operating according to some law or fundamental principle. Translations (operating according to some law or fundamental principle): oikeutettu (Finnish)
    Sense id: en-lawful-en-adj-XUtoYstH Disambiguation of 'operating according to some law or fundamental principle': 1 97 2
  3. (roleplaying games) Of a character: having an alignment which makes them tend to follow the laws and conventions of society. Categories (topical): Role-playing games
    Sense id: en-lawful-en-adj-en:RPG Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 2 entries, Pages with entries, Terms with Arabic translations, Terms with Bulgarian translations, Terms with Dutch translations, Terms with Finnish translations, Terms with French translations, Terms with Georgian translations, Terms with German translations, Terms with Hungarian translations, Terms with Icelandic translations, Terms with Irish translations, Terms with Japanese translations, Terms with Latin translations, Terms with Latvian translations, Terms with Luxembourgish translations, Terms with Macedonian translations, Terms with Mandarin translations, Terms with Middle English translations, Terms with Old English translations, Terms with Polish translations, Terms with Portuguese translations, Terms with Romanian translations, Terms with Russian translations, Terms with Scottish Gaelic translations, Terms with Swahili translations, Terms with Swedish translations, Terms with Turkish translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 7 19 44 29 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 12 16 49 23 Disambiguation of Pages with 2 entries: 8 11 63 18 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 7 11 64 18 Disambiguation of Terms with Arabic translations: 11 17 51 21 Disambiguation of Terms with Bulgarian translations: 11 18 51 20 Disambiguation of Terms with Dutch translations: 10 16 51 23 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 12 16 51 20 Disambiguation of Terms with French translations: 10 17 52 21 Disambiguation of Terms with Georgian translations: 18 15 49 18 Disambiguation of Terms with German translations: 12 17 51 21 Disambiguation of Terms with Hungarian translations: 13 15 45 27 Disambiguation of Terms with Icelandic translations: 12 16 51 20 Disambiguation of Terms with Irish translations: 12 17 51 21 Disambiguation of Terms with Japanese translations: 7 14 58 21 Disambiguation of Terms with Latin translations: 7 14 58 21 Disambiguation of Terms with Latvian translations: 18 15 49 18 Disambiguation of Terms with Luxembourgish translations: 11 17 52 20 Disambiguation of Terms with Macedonian translations: 18 15 49 18 Disambiguation of Terms with Mandarin translations: 10 17 48 25 Disambiguation of Terms with Middle English translations: 9 17 49 25 Disambiguation of Terms with Old English translations: 8 15 51 26 Disambiguation of Terms with Polish translations: 13 18 48 21 Disambiguation of Terms with Portuguese translations: 14 17 46 23 Disambiguation of Terms with Romanian translations: 12 16 51 20 Disambiguation of Terms with Russian translations: 7 14 58 21 Disambiguation of Terms with Scottish Gaelic translations: 12 17 51 21 Disambiguation of Terms with Swahili translations: 8 14 56 22 Disambiguation of Terms with Swedish translations: 11 17 52 20 Disambiguation of Terms with Turkish translations: 11 17 52 20
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: lawfull [obsolete] Derived forms: lawful day, lawful interception, lawfully, lawful money, lawfulness

Noun

IPA: /ˈlɔːfʊl/ [UK] Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-lawful.wav Forms: lawfuls [plural]
Rhymes: -ɔːfʊl Etymology: From Middle English laweful, equivalent to law + -ful, conflated with Middle English leful, leeful, leveful (“according to law, lawful, pertaining to law”). See also leveful. Etymology templates: {{inh|en|enm|laweful}} Middle English laweful, {{suffix|en|law|ful|nocat=1}} law + -ful, {{ncog|enm|leful}} Middle English leful Head templates: {{en-noun}} lawful (plural lawfuls)
  1. (roleplaying games) A character having a lawful alignment. Categories (topical): Role-playing games
    Sense id: en-lawful-en-noun-TRZvuI7U
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: lawfull [obsolete]

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

{
  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "lawful day"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "lawful interception"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "lawfully"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "lawful money"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "lawfulness"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "laweful"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English laweful",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "law",
        "3": "ful",
        "nocat": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "law + -ful",
      "name": "suffix"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "leful"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English leful",
      "name": "ncog"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English laweful, equivalent to law + -ful, conflated with Middle English leful, leeful, leveful (“according to law, lawful, pertaining to law”). See also leveful.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "more lawful",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "most lawful",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "lawful (comparative more lawful, superlative most lawful)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "antonyms": [
        {
          "word": "nonlawful"
        },
        {
          "word": "unlawful"
        },
        {
          "word": "illicit"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Law",
          "orig": "en:Law",
          "parents": [
            "Justice",
            "Society",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Lawful money is always a land asset and can only be issued by an actual land jurisdiction government — not a corporation.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2024 February 7, Philip Haigh, “Railway's fragile resilience”, in RAIL, number 1002, page 3:",
          "text": "The laws are controversial. Forcing someone to work during a lawful strike is a major step. It was always likely to inflame a situation, and so it proved with LNER. ASLEF's counter-tactic came as a five-day walkout, which would have been the longest stoppage for many years had LNER not withdrawn its plan.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Conforming to, or recognised by the laws of society."
      ],
      "id": "en-lawful-en-adj-j3ziI2z5",
      "links": [
        [
          "law",
          "law#English"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(law) Conforming to, or recognised by the laws of society."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "just"
        },
        {
          "word": "legal"
        },
        {
          "word": "legitimate"
        },
        {
          "word": "licit"
        }
      ],
      "topics": [
        "law"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "76 18 6",
          "code": "ar",
          "lang": "Arabic",
          "roman": "qānūniyy",
          "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
          "word": "قانوني"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "76 18 6",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "zakonen",
          "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
          "word": "законен"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "76 18 6",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "héfǎ de",
          "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
          "word": "合法的"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "76 18 6",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
          "word": "wettig"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "76 18 6",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
          "word": "rechtmatig"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "76 18 6",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
          "word": "lainmukainen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "76 18 6",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
          "word": "laillinen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "76 18 6",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
          "word": "légal"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "76 18 6",
          "code": "ka",
          "lang": "Georgian",
          "roman": "ḳanonieri",
          "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
          "word": "კანონიერი"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "76 18 6",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
          "word": "gesetzlich"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "76 18 6",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
          "word": "legal"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "76 18 6",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
          "word": "rechtsmäßig"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "76 18 6",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
          "word": "törvényes"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "76 18 6",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
          "word": "törvényszerű"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "76 18 6",
          "code": "is",
          "lang": "Icelandic",
          "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
          "word": "löglegur"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "76 18 6",
          "code": "ga",
          "lang": "Irish",
          "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
          "word": "dleathach"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "76 18 6",
          "alt": "ごうほうな",
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "roman": "gōhō na",
          "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
          "word": "合法な"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "76 18 6",
          "code": "la",
          "lang": "Latin",
          "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
          "word": "lēgitimus"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "76 18 6",
          "code": "lv",
          "lang": "Latvian",
          "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
          "word": "likumīgs"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "76 18 6",
          "code": "lb",
          "lang": "Luxembourgish",
          "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
          "word": "gesetzlech"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "76 18 6",
          "code": "mk",
          "lang": "Macedonian",
          "roman": "zakonit",
          "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
          "word": "законит"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "76 18 6",
          "code": "enm",
          "lang": "Middle English",
          "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
          "word": "laweful"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "76 18 6",
          "code": "ang",
          "lang": "Old English",
          "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
          "word": "ǣwlīċ"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "76 18 6",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
          "word": "prawowierny"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "76 18 6",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
          "word": "prawomierny"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "76 18 6",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
          "word": "prawomocny"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "76 18 6",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
          "word": "legalny"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "76 18 6",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
          "word": "legal"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "76 18 6",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
          "word": "legalizado"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "76 18 6",
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "legal"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "76 18 6",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "zakónnyj",
          "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
          "word": "зако́нный"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "76 18 6",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "legálʹnyj",
          "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
          "word": "лега́льный"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "76 18 6",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "pravomérnyj",
          "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
          "word": "правоме́рный"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "76 18 6",
          "code": "gd",
          "lang": "Scottish Gaelic",
          "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
          "word": "dligheach"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "76 18 6",
          "code": "sw",
          "lang": "Swahili",
          "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
          "word": "halali"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "76 18 6",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
          "word": "laglig"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "76 18 6",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
          "word": "berättigad"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "76 18 6",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
          "word": "rättmätig"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "76 18 6",
          "code": "tr",
          "lang": "Turkish",
          "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
          "word": "yasal"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1776, Jeremy Bentham, “A Short Review of the Declaration”, in John Lind, An Anſwer to the Declaration of the American Congress, London: Thomas Cadell, page 121:",
          "text": "Or would they have it believed, that there is in their ſelves ſome ſuperior ſanctity, ſome peculiar privilege, by which theſe things are lawful to them, which are unlawful to all the world beſides?",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2014, George Ortega, Free Will: Its Refutation, Societal Cost and Role in Climate Change Denial:",
          "text": "[…] so that the person's actions are merely the inevitable product of lawful causes stemming from prior events […]",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Operating according to some law or fundamental principle."
      ],
      "id": "en-lawful-en-adj-XUtoYstH",
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "1 97 2",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "operating according to some law or fundamental principle",
          "word": "oikeutettu"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Role-playing games",
          "orig": "en:Role-playing games",
          "parents": [
            "Games",
            "Recreation",
            "Human activity",
            "Human behaviour",
            "Human",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "7 19 44 29",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
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        },
        {
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        {
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      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Of a character: having an alignment which makes them tend to follow the laws and conventions of society."
      ],
      "id": "en-lawful-en-adj-en:RPG",
      "links": [
        [
          "roleplaying game",
          "roleplaying game"
        ],
        [
          "character",
          "character#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "laws",
          "law#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "conventions",
          "convention#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "society",
          "society#Noun"
        ]
      ],
      "qualifier": "roleplaying games",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(roleplaying games) Of a character: having an alignment which makes them tend to follow the laws and conventions of society."
      ],
      "senseid": [
        "en:RPG"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈlɔːfʊl/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-lawful.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/0/09/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-lawful.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-lawful.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/0/09/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-lawful.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-lawful.wav.ogg"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɔːfʊl"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "tags": [
        "obsolete"
      ],
      "word": "lawfull"
    }
  ],
  "word": "lawful"
}

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "laweful"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English laweful",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "law",
        "3": "ful",
        "nocat": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "law + -ful",
      "name": "suffix"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "leful"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English leful",
      "name": "ncog"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English laweful, equivalent to law + -ful, conflated with Middle English leful, leeful, leveful (“according to law, lawful, pertaining to law”). See also leveful.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "lawfuls",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "lawful (plural lawfuls)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Role-playing games",
          "orig": "en:Role-playing games",
          "parents": [
            "Games",
            "Recreation",
            "Human activity",
            "Human behaviour",
            "Human",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A character having a lawful alignment."
      ],
      "id": "en-lawful-en-noun-TRZvuI7U",
      "links": [
        [
          "roleplaying game",
          "roleplaying game"
        ],
        [
          "character",
          "character"
        ],
        [
          "alignment",
          "alignment"
        ]
      ],
      "qualifier": "roleplaying games",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(roleplaying games) A character having a lawful alignment."
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈlɔːfʊl/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-lawful.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/0/09/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-lawful.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-lawful.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/0/09/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-lawful.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-lawful.wav.ogg"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɔːfʊl"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "tags": [
        "obsolete"
      ],
      "word": "lawfull"
    }
  ],
  "word": "lawful"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English adjectives",
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms derived from Middle English",
    "English terms inherited from Middle English",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 2 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Rhymes:English/ɔːfʊl",
    "Rhymes:English/ɔːfʊl/2 syllables",
    "Terms with Arabic translations",
    "Terms with Bulgarian translations",
    "Terms with Dutch translations",
    "Terms with Finnish translations",
    "Terms with French translations",
    "Terms with Georgian translations",
    "Terms with German translations",
    "Terms with Hungarian translations",
    "Terms with Icelandic translations",
    "Terms with Irish translations",
    "Terms with Japanese translations",
    "Terms with Latin translations",
    "Terms with Latvian translations",
    "Terms with Luxembourgish translations",
    "Terms with Macedonian translations",
    "Terms with Mandarin translations",
    "Terms with Middle English translations",
    "Terms with Old English translations",
    "Terms with Polish translations",
    "Terms with Portuguese translations",
    "Terms with Romanian translations",
    "Terms with Russian translations",
    "Terms with Scottish Gaelic translations",
    "Terms with Swahili translations",
    "Terms with Swedish translations",
    "Terms with Turkish translations"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "lawful day"
    },
    {
      "word": "lawful interception"
    },
    {
      "word": "lawfully"
    },
    {
      "word": "lawful money"
    },
    {
      "word": "lawfulness"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "laweful"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English laweful",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "law",
        "3": "ful",
        "nocat": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "law + -ful",
      "name": "suffix"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "leful"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English leful",
      "name": "ncog"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English laweful, equivalent to law + -ful, conflated with Middle English leful, leeful, leveful (“according to law, lawful, pertaining to law”). See also leveful.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "more lawful",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "most lawful",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "lawful (comparative more lawful, superlative most lawful)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "antonyms": [
        {
          "word": "nonlawful"
        },
        {
          "word": "unlawful"
        },
        {
          "word": "illicit"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English terms with usage examples",
        "en:Law"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Lawful money is always a land asset and can only be issued by an actual land jurisdiction government — not a corporation.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2024 February 7, Philip Haigh, “Railway's fragile resilience”, in RAIL, number 1002, page 3:",
          "text": "The laws are controversial. Forcing someone to work during a lawful strike is a major step. It was always likely to inflame a situation, and so it proved with LNER. ASLEF's counter-tactic came as a five-day walkout, which would have been the longest stoppage for many years had LNER not withdrawn its plan.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Conforming to, or recognised by the laws of society."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "law",
          "law#English"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(law) Conforming to, or recognised by the laws of society."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "just"
        },
        {
          "word": "legal"
        },
        {
          "word": "legitimate"
        },
        {
          "word": "licit"
        }
      ],
      "topics": [
        "law"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1776, Jeremy Bentham, “A Short Review of the Declaration”, in John Lind, An Anſwer to the Declaration of the American Congress, London: Thomas Cadell, page 121:",
          "text": "Or would they have it believed, that there is in their ſelves ſome ſuperior ſanctity, ſome peculiar privilege, by which theſe things are lawful to them, which are unlawful to all the world beſides?",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2014, George Ortega, Free Will: Its Refutation, Societal Cost and Role in Climate Change Denial:",
          "text": "[…] so that the person's actions are merely the inevitable product of lawful causes stemming from prior events […]",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Operating according to some law or fundamental principle."
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "en:Role-playing games"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Of a character: having an alignment which makes them tend to follow the laws and conventions of society."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "roleplaying game",
          "roleplaying game"
        ],
        [
          "character",
          "character#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "laws",
          "law#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "conventions",
          "convention#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "society",
          "society#Noun"
        ]
      ],
      "qualifier": "roleplaying games",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(roleplaying games) Of a character: having an alignment which makes them tend to follow the laws and conventions of society."
      ],
      "senseid": [
        "en:RPG"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈlɔːfʊl/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-lawful.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/0/09/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-lawful.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-lawful.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/0/09/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-lawful.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-lawful.wav.ogg"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɔːfʊl"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "tags": [
        "obsolete"
      ],
      "word": "lawfull"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "ar",
      "lang": "Arabic",
      "roman": "qānūniyy",
      "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
      "word": "قانوني"
    },
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "zakonen",
      "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
      "word": "законен"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "héfǎ de",
      "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
      "word": "合法的"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
      "word": "wettig"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
      "word": "rechtmatig"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
      "word": "lainmukainen"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
      "word": "laillinen"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
      "word": "légal"
    },
    {
      "code": "ka",
      "lang": "Georgian",
      "roman": "ḳanonieri",
      "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
      "word": "კანონიერი"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
      "word": "gesetzlich"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
      "word": "legal"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
      "word": "rechtsmäßig"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
      "word": "törvényes"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
      "word": "törvényszerű"
    },
    {
      "code": "is",
      "lang": "Icelandic",
      "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
      "word": "löglegur"
    },
    {
      "code": "ga",
      "lang": "Irish",
      "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
      "word": "dleathach"
    },
    {
      "alt": "ごうほうな",
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "gōhō na",
      "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
      "word": "合法な"
    },
    {
      "code": "la",
      "lang": "Latin",
      "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
      "word": "lēgitimus"
    },
    {
      "code": "lv",
      "lang": "Latvian",
      "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
      "word": "likumīgs"
    },
    {
      "code": "lb",
      "lang": "Luxembourgish",
      "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
      "word": "gesetzlech"
    },
    {
      "code": "mk",
      "lang": "Macedonian",
      "roman": "zakonit",
      "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
      "word": "законит"
    },
    {
      "code": "enm",
      "lang": "Middle English",
      "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
      "word": "laweful"
    },
    {
      "code": "ang",
      "lang": "Old English",
      "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
      "word": "ǣwlīċ"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
      "word": "prawowierny"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
      "word": "prawomierny"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
      "word": "prawomocny"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
      "word": "legalny"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
      "word": "legal"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
      "word": "legalizado"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "legal"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "zakónnyj",
      "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
      "word": "зако́нный"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "legálʹnyj",
      "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
      "word": "лега́льный"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "pravomérnyj",
      "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
      "word": "правоме́рный"
    },
    {
      "code": "gd",
      "lang": "Scottish Gaelic",
      "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
      "word": "dligheach"
    },
    {
      "code": "sw",
      "lang": "Swahili",
      "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
      "word": "halali"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
      "word": "laglig"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
      "word": "berättigad"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
      "word": "rättmätig"
    },
    {
      "code": "tr",
      "lang": "Turkish",
      "sense": "conforming to or recognised by law or rules",
      "word": "yasal"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "operating according to some law or fundamental principle",
      "word": "oikeutettu"
    }
  ],
  "word": "lawful"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English adjectives",
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms derived from Middle English",
    "English terms inherited from Middle English",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 2 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Rhymes:English/ɔːfʊl",
    "Rhymes:English/ɔːfʊl/2 syllables",
    "Terms with Arabic translations",
    "Terms with Bulgarian translations",
    "Terms with Dutch translations",
    "Terms with Finnish translations",
    "Terms with French translations",
    "Terms with Georgian translations",
    "Terms with German translations",
    "Terms with Hungarian translations",
    "Terms with Icelandic translations",
    "Terms with Irish translations",
    "Terms with Japanese translations",
    "Terms with Latin translations",
    "Terms with Latvian translations",
    "Terms with Luxembourgish translations",
    "Terms with Macedonian translations",
    "Terms with Mandarin translations",
    "Terms with Middle English translations",
    "Terms with Old English translations",
    "Terms with Polish translations",
    "Terms with Portuguese translations",
    "Terms with Romanian translations",
    "Terms with Russian translations",
    "Terms with Scottish Gaelic translations",
    "Terms with Swahili translations",
    "Terms with Swedish translations",
    "Terms with Turkish translations"
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "laweful"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English laweful",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "law",
        "3": "ful",
        "nocat": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "law + -ful",
      "name": "suffix"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "leful"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English leful",
      "name": "ncog"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English laweful, equivalent to law + -ful, conflated with Middle English leful, leeful, leveful (“according to law, lawful, pertaining to law”). See also leveful.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "lawfuls",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "lawful (plural lawfuls)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "en:Role-playing games"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A character having a lawful alignment."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "roleplaying game",
          "roleplaying game"
        ],
        [
          "character",
          "character"
        ],
        [
          "alignment",
          "alignment"
        ]
      ],
      "qualifier": "roleplaying games",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(roleplaying games) A character having a lawful alignment."
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈlɔːfʊl/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-lawful.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/0/09/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-lawful.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-lawful.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/0/09/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-lawful.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-lawful.wav.ogg"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɔːfʊl"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "tags": [
        "obsolete"
      ],
      "word": "lawfull"
    }
  ],
  "word": "lawful"
}

Download raw JSONL data for lawful meaning in English (12.7kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-12-01 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-11-21 using wiktextract (95d2be1 and 64224ec). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.