zákonným

Zákonným is the instrumental singular form of the Czech adjective zákonný, which means lawful, legal, or statutory. The basic sense is that something is in accordance with the law or authorized by it. As an inflected form, zákonným is used when describing a masculine singular noun in the instrumental case, for example z zákonným způsobem (in a lawful manner) or zákonným postupem (by a lawful procedure).

Usage and nuance: The term emphasizes conformity with legal rules or statutes. It can describe obligations, actions, or instruments that derive from law or are authorized by it. In formal writing, zákonný is often preferred to indicate official legality, while legální is a loanword from Latin via English that can appear in broader or sometimes more colloquial contexts. The two are not always interchangeable; context and register influence their choice.

Morphology and forms: Adjectives in Czech agree with the noun they modify in gender, number, and case. For nominative singular, the forms are roughly: masculine zákonný, feminine zákonná, neuter zákonné. In the instrumental singular, masculine and neuter often appear as zákonným, while the feminine instrumental is zákonnou. This form paradigm explains why you commonly see phrases like zákonným způsobem or zákonným postupem.

Etymology: Zákonný derives from the noun zákon (law) with the adjectival suffix -ný, forming a word that denotes something mandated by or consistent with law. The term is widely used in legal, governmental, and formal discourse to describe legitimacy, compliance, or authorization under legal rules.