1
a
: being in harmony with the law
a lawful judgment
b
: constituted, authorized, or established by law : rightful
lawful institutions
2
: law-abiding
lawful citizens
Examples of lawful in a Sentence
a lawful search of the property
hunting is a lawful activity only if you have the proper license
Recent Examples on the Web
Writing to interim Department of Labor Secretary Julie Su, U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx said her failure to provide responses and data to the Committee on Education & the Workforce is an obstruction to its lawful oversight.
—
Alan Wooten | The Center Square, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 9 Aug. 2024
That's called lawful interference and can happen if the landlord is acting on a court order, entering a home with permission to make repairs or believes the renter abandoned the place or died.
—Nushrat Rahman, Detroit Free Press, 30 July 2024
Friends of our constitutional republic may need to defend it implacably, by every lawful means.
—Barton Gellman, Washington Post, 30 July 2024
President Joe Biden signed a pair of executive orders in June to limit asylum for migrants and to keep families together by allowing noncitizen spouses and children to apply for lawful permanent residence.
—Stephanie Murray, The Arizona Republic, 30 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for lawful 
Alan Wooten | The Center Square, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 9 Aug. 2024
That's called lawful interference and can happen if the landlord is acting on a court order, entering a home with permission to make repairs or believes the renter abandoned the place or died.
—Nushrat Rahman, Detroit Free Press, 30 July 2024
Friends of our constitutional republic may need to defend it implacably, by every lawful means.
—Barton Gellman, Washington Post, 30 July 2024
President Joe Biden signed a pair of executive orders in June to limit asylum for migrants and to keep families together by allowing noncitizen spouses and children to apply for lawful permanent residence.
—Stephanie Murray, The Arizona Republic, 30 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for lawful
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lawful.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near lawful
Cite this Entry
“Lawful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lawful. Accessed 20 Aug. 2024.
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