English → Latin
“legal” in Latin
lēgitimuslawful, legal, legitimate; legal (of or pertaining to the law); legitimate (born of married parents)potestāspower, ability; mastery, control; authority, jurisdiction
The English word legal itself goes back to Latin lēx, through lēgālis.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
legal
secundum leges; legibus constitutus (according to law, fixed by law): legitimus (lawful; also, of or relating to law; e.g., a legal impediment, legitimus impedimentum, Cic.; legal authorily, imperium, potestas, etc., Cic.): to institute legal proceedings against anybody; Vid: “to go to LAW with”: anything is not legal, aliquid leges vetant (Cic.).
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for legal?
- The usual Latin words for “legal” are lēgitimus, potestās. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.