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legal |
4 definitions found From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Legal \Le"gal\ (l[=e]"gal), a. [L. legalis, fr lex, legis, law; prob. orig., that which lies or is fixed (cf. L. lectus bed), and if so akin to E. lie, law: cf F. l['e]gal. Cf {Lie} to be prostrate, {Loyal}, {Leal}.] 1. Created by permitted by in conformity with or relating to law; as a legal obligation; a legal standard or test; a legal procedure; a legal claim; a legal trade anything is legal which the laws do not forbid. 2. (Theol.) a According to the law of works as distinguished from free grace; or resting on works for salvation. b According to the old or Mosaic dispensation; in accordance with the law of Moses. 3. (Law) Governed by the rules of law as distinguished from the rules of equity; as legal estate; legal assets. --Bouvier. --Burrill. {Legal cap}. See under {Cap}. {Legal tender}. a The act of tendering in the performance of a contract or satisfaction of a claim that which the law prescribes or permits, and at such time and place as the law prescribes or permits. b That currency, or money, which the law authorizes a debtor to tender and requires a creditor to receive. It differs in different countries. Syn: Lawful; constitutional; legitimate; licit; authorized. See {Lawful}. From WordNet r 1.6 [wn]: legal adj 1: established by or founded upon law or official or accepted rules [ant: {illegal}] 2: of or relating to jurisprudence; "legal loophole" 3: having legal efficacy or force; "a sound title to the property" [syn: {sound}] 4: relating to or characteristic of the profession of law; "the legal profession" 5: (sports) allowed by official rules "a legal pass receiver" From Jargon File (4.2.3, 23 NOV 2000) [jargon]: legal adj Loosely used to mean `in accordance with all the relevant rules', esp. in connection with some set of constraints defined by software. "The older =+ alternate for += is no longer legal syntax in ANSI C." "This parser processes each line of legal input the moment it sees the trailing linefeed." Hackers often model their work as a sort of game played with the environment in which the objective is to maneuver through the thicket of `natural laws' to achieve a desired objective. Their use of `legal' is flavored as much by this game-playing sense as by the more conventional one having to do with courts and lawyers. Compare {language lawyer}, {legalese}. From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (13 Mar 01) [foldoc]: legal Loosely used to mean "in accordance with all the relevant rules", especially in connection with some set of constraints defined by software. "The older =+ alternate for += is no longer legal syntax in ANSI C." "This parser processes each line of legal input the moment it sees the trailing linefeed." Hackers often model their work as a sort of game played with the environment in which the objective is to maneuver through the thicket of "natural laws" to achieve a desired objective. Their use of legal" is flavoured as much by this game-playing sense as by the more conventional one having to do with courts and lawyers. Compare {language lawyer}, {legalese}. [{Jargon File}]
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