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Simple English definitions for legal terms
legal
Read a random definition: anticipatory filing
A quick definition of legal:
Legal refers to anything related to the law. It means following the rules and not breaking them. In the past, there were different courts for legal and equitable remedies, but now most courts can provide both. Legal relief usually means giving money to someone who was wronged to make things right. Legal is also used in many other legal terms like legal action, legal cause, legal duty, and legal fiction.
A more thorough explanation:
Legal refers to anything related to the law. It can also mean something that follows the law or does not break it. In the past, legal was used to contrast with "equitable," which referred to a different system of remedies for legal problems.
- Driving under the influence of alcohol is not legal.
- Hiring a lawyer to help with a legal dispute.
- Receiving legal advice from a law firm.
These examples illustrate how legal can refer to something that is allowed by law, or something that involves the legal system.
- Legal action: taking legal steps to resolve a problem.
- Legal cause: the reason why something is considered legally responsible.
- Legal duty: an obligation to follow the law.
- Legal fiction: a legal assumption that is not necessarily true in reality.