legality
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legality
The conformity of an action, condition, or regulation with the law in force; legality or lawfulness.
Das Gericht prüft die Rechtmäßigkeit des Verwaltungsaktes.
The court is reviewing the legality of the administrative act.
The word is made up of three parts: 'Recht' (law), '-mäßig' (according to, in accordance with), and the ending '-keit', which forms an abstract noun. It therefore describes the state of being in accordance with the law.
Die Rechtmäßigkeit dieser Entscheidung wird von vielen bezweifelt.
The legality of this decision is doubted by many.
This noun is often used with verbs that express examination or evaluation. Typical verbs are 'die Rechtmäßigkeit prüfen' (to review the legality), 'anzweifeln' (to doubt), 'bestätigen' (to confirm), or 'infrage stellen' (to call into question).
Ein Anwalt soll die Rechtmäßigkeit des Vertrags prüfen.
A lawyer is supposed to review the legality of the contract.
'Rechtmäßigkeit' (legality) is a formal term used mainly in legal, political, and administrative texts. It is rare in everyday language.
In dem Schreiben wird die Rechtmäßigkeit der Gebührenerhöhung begründet.
The letter explains the legality of the fee increase.
validity
'Gültigkeit' and 'Rechtmäßigkeit' both have to do with rules and official matters. 'Gültigkeit' says whether something is officially valid and effective, for example an ID card, a ticket, or a contract. 'Rechtmäßigkeit' says whether something complies with the law. The words can be confused because both often occur in legal or official situations. A practical tip: with a document, you often ask about its 'Gültigkeit' (validity); with an action or decision, you ask about its 'Rechtmäßigkeit' (legality / lawfulness).
Nach der Kontrolle wurde die Rechtmäßigkeit der Entscheidung noch einmal geprüft.
After the inspection, the legality of the decision was reviewed once again.
Lea prüfte auf dem Amt die Gültigkeit ihres neuen Ausweises.
Lea checked the validity of her new ID card at the government office.