law ‧ ful /ˈlɔːf ə l $ ˈlɒː-/ BrE AmE adjective formal or law
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ law , ↑ lawyer , ↑ outlaw , ↑ lawfulness , ↑ lawlessness ; verb : ↑ outlaw ; adverb : ↑ lawfully ≠ ↑ unlawfully ; adjective : ↑ lawful ≠ ↑ unlawful ]
allowed or recognized by law SYN legal :
It is not lawful to kill or injure a pet animal.
a lawful arrest
his lawful wife
—lawfully adverb
—lawfulness noun [uncountable]