Legals

[lee-guh l] /ˈli gəl/

adjective
1.
permitted by law; lawful:
Such acts are not legal.
2.
of or relating to law; connected with the law or its administration:
the legal profession.
3.
appointed, established, or authorized by law; deriving authority from law.
4.
recognized by law rather than by equity.
5.
of, relating to, or characteristic of the profession of law or of lawyers:
a legal mind.
6.
Theology.

noun
7.
a person who acts in a legal manner or with legal authority.
8.
an alien who has entered a country legally.
9.
a person whose status is protected by law.
10.
a fish or game animal, within specified size or weight limitations, that the law allows to be caught and kept during an appropriate season.
11.
a foreigner who conducts espionage against a host country while working there in a legitimate capacity, often in the diplomatic service.
12.
legals, authorized investments that may be made by fiduciaries, as savings banks or trustees.
/ˈliːɡəl/
adjective
1.
established by or founded upon law; lawful
2.
of or relating to law
3.
recognized, enforceable, or having a remedy at law rather than in equity
4.
relating to or characteristic of the profession of law
adj.

mid-15c. “of or pertaining to the law,” from Middle French légal or directly from Latin legalis “legal, pertaining to the law,” from lex (genitive legis) “law,” possibly related to legere “to gather,” on notion of “a collection of rules” (see lecture (n.)).

Sense of “permitted by law” is from 1640s. Related: Legally. The Old French form was leial, loial (see leal, loyal). Legal tender is from 1740.