Synonyms of lawful
6 similar words · 11 opposite words
Another word for lawful is legitimate. Other synonyms of lawful are legal, rightful, licit and just. The opposite of lawful is illegal.
Synonyms and similar words for lawful
adjectiveConforming to, or recognised by the laws of society.
- just
- legalBeing established, permitted, required or prescribed by law.
- legitimateIn accordance with the law or established legal forms and requirements.
- licitExplicitly established or constituted by law.
Opposite of lawful
adjectiveConforming to, or recognised by the laws of society.
- nonlawfulNot lawful; unlawful.
- unlawfulProhibited; not permitted by law (either civil or criminal law; see illegal).
- illicit
- crimefulCriminal; wicked; illegal.
- criminal
- illegalContrary to, forbidden, or not authorized by law, especially criminal law.
- illegitimateNot in accordance with the law.
- lawbreakingUnlawful; illegal.
- outlawed
- wrongful
adjectiveMore antonyms
- forbiddenNot allowed; specifically disallowed.
Meaning of lawful
- adjective Conforming to, or recognised by the laws of society.
- adjective Operating according to some law or fundamental principle.
- adjective Of a character: having an alignment which makes them tend to follow the laws and conventions of society.
lawful in other languages
Questions about synonyms of lawful
- What is another word for lawful?
- Lawful has 6 synonyms on Word.ws, such as legitimate, legal, rightful, licit and just.
- What is the opposite of lawful?
- The opposite of lawful is illegal. Other antonyms of lawful are illegitimate, lawbreaking, nonlawful, unlawful and forbidden.
- What does lawful mean?
- Lawful means conforming to, or recognised by the laws of society.
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: lawful (page history and authors) and the entries of the words listed. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws grouped the synonyms and antonyms by meaning and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
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Cite this page: “Synonyms of lawful.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/synonyms/lawful. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.