legalment

Legalment is a word in the Catalan language that functions as an adverb meaning “in a legal manner” or “legally.” It is used to indicate that an action, document, or status conforms to applicable law or regulations. The term is formed from the adjective legal, combined with the adverbial suffix -ment to express manner.

In etymology and usage, many Catalan adverbs are created by adding -ment to an adjective, as in facilment or lentament. Legalment follows this pattern. It is most common in formal, legislative, administrative, or journalistic registers where legal compliance is relevant. It can modify verbs, passive constructions, or clauses, for example: Els tràmits s’han realitzat legalment.

Related terms and distinctions: In Catalan, sometimes escrit formulations or contexts distinguish between legalment and lícitament, where legalment denotes compliance with law and lícitament signals something permitted by law. Legítimament, by contrast, refers more to legitimacy or moral rightness rather than strictly to legality.

Cross-linguistic note: The word is Catalan-specific. In Spanish the equivalent is legalmente, in French légalement, and in Italian legalmente. This reflects how Romance languages form adverbs describing legality, status, or compliance, with varying nuances.

See also: Catalan language, legal terminology, regulatory compliance.