prescribes or permits. (b) That currency, or money, which the law authorizes a debtor to tender and
requires a creditor to receive. It differs in different countries.
Syn. — Lawful; constitutional; legitimate; licit; authorized. See Lawful.
Legalism
(Le"gal*ism) n. Strictness, or the doctrine of strictness, in conforming to law.
Legalist
(Le"gal*ist), n. One who practices or advocates strict conformity to law; in theology, one who
holds to the law of works. See Legal, 2 (a).
Legality
(Le*gal"i*ty) n. [Cf. LL. legalitas, F. légalité. Cf. Loyalty.]
1. The state or quality of being legal; conformity to law.
2. (Theol.) A conformity to, and resting upon, the letter of the law.
Legalization
(Le`gal*i*za"tion) n. The act of making legal.
Legalize
(Le"gal*ize) v. t. [imp. & p. p. Legalized (- izd); p. pr. & vb. n. Legalizing (- i`zing).] [Cf.
F. légaliser.]
1. To make legal.
2. (Theol.) To interpret or apply in a legal spirit.
Legally
(Le"gal*ly), adv. In a legal manner.
Legantine
(Le*gan"tine) a. [Obs.] See Legatine.
Legatary
(Leg"a*ta*ry) n. [L. legatarius, fr. legaturius enjoined by a last will: cf. F. légataire. See Legacy.]
A legatee. [R.] Ayliffe.
Legate
(Leg"ate) n. [OE. legat, L. legatus, fr. legare to send with a commission or charge, to depute,
fr. lex, legis, law: cf. F. légat, It. legato. See Legal.]
1. An ambassador or envoy.
2. An ecclesiastic representing the pope and invested with the authority of the Holy See.
Legates are of three kinds: (a) Legates a latere, now always cardinals. They are called ordinary or
extraordinary legates, the former governing provinces, and the latter class being sent to foreign countries
on extraordinary occasions. (b) Legati missi, who correspond to the ambassadors of temporal governments.
(c) Legati nati, or legates by virtue of their office, as the archbishops of Salzburg and Prague.
3. (Rom. Hist.) (a) An official assistant given to a general or to the governor of a province. (b) Under
the emperors, a governor sent to a province.
Legatee
(Leg`a*tee") n. [See Legacy.] (Law) One to whom a legacy is bequeathed.
Legateship
(Leg"ate*ship) n. The office of a legate.
Legatine
(Leg"a*tine) a.
1. Of or pertaining to a legate; as, legatine power. Holinshed.
2. Made by, proceeding from, or under the sanction of, a legate; as, a legatine constitution. Ayliffe.
