Etymology

lawful

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Today it means: Conforming to, or recognised by the laws of society. Full definition →

Middle English laweful
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The story

  1. Middle English · inherited fromlaweful
  2. English todaylawful

From Middle English laweful, equivalent to law + -ful, conflated with Middle English leful, leeful, leveful (“according to law, lawful, pertaining to law”). See also leveful.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.