Definition of "lawful" []

• Being within the law; allowed by law: lawful methods of dissent. (adjective)
• Established, sanctioned, or recognized by the law: the lawful heir. (adjective)
• Obeying the law; law-abiding. (adjective)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "It only prohibits *lawful* use, and if the use of weapons for self-defense were prohibited by any law, they would not be a lawful use, and thus not prohibited by this law."
• "All _lawful_ commands would involve a question -- what are lawful commands?"
• "While the term lawful access sounds innocuous, the program, which dates back to 2002, represents law enforcement's desire to re-make Canada's networks to allow for lawful interception of private communications."