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Prepositions after adjectives

legal in or legal for?

Legal in is used for places or legal systems. Legal for is used for people, ages, or situations where something is permitted.

Quick answer

Legal in vs. legal for

Use legal in with countries, states, or jurisdictions. Use legal for with people, groups, or ages. Both are standard but express different ideas.

Online gambling is legal in several countries.
The film is not legal for children under 15.
This medicine is legal in Canada.
It is legal for adults to buy fireworks here.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
legal in + place

Showing where something is permitted by law

Use in with countries, states, cities, or legal systems.

The product is legal in the European Union.
2
legal for + person or group

Showing who may do something

Use for with people, age groups, or organisations.

It is not legal for minors to enter the casino.
3
legal to + verb

Showing whether an action is permitted

Legal is also commonly followed by an infinitive.

Is it legal to record this conversation?
4
legal under + law

Referring to a legal framework

Use under when naming a law or legal rule.

The agreement is legal under international law.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
legal in
Cannabis is legal in some states.
Permitted within a place or jurisdiction.
legal for
The website is not legal for children.
Permitted or appropriate for a group of people.
legal to
It is legal to work after age sixteen here.
Permitted action.
legal under
The search was legal under federal law.
Permitted according to a legal framework.

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using legal in for people

Use legal for when referring to people or age groups.

✕ It is legal in teenagers to buy alcohol. ✓ It is legal for teenagers to buy alcohol.

Using legal for countries

Use legal in with places or jurisdictions.

✕ The app is legal for Germany. ✓ The app is legal in Germany.

Forgetting the infinitive after legal

Use to before a verb.

✕ Is it legal drive here? ✓ Is it legal to drive here?

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. Online betting is legal ___ this country.
2. It is not legal ___ children to work at night.
3. Is it legal ___ park here after midnight?

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Frequently asked questions

Can I say legal in Europe?

Yes. Use legal in with regions, countries, or jurisdictions.

What does legal for mean?

It refers to whether something is permitted for a person or group.

Is legal to common?

Yes. Legal to plus a verb is very common for discussing permitted actions.

labour-in-for-with-on, to "large in" or "large of"? "late in" or "late for"? lawful for, to, in, unto or under? "lax in", "lax on" or "lax about"? lazy in, about, with, to or for? "leading to" or "leading of"? leery of, about or over? left in, for, over, with or to? leftover from, of, for, in or after? "legitimate for" or "legitimate in"? lesser of, in, for, on or to?

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