Legal, legitimate, lawful - these terms all refer to being in accordance with the law. This can be applied to compliance with any kind of law, whether it be natural, divine, common or canonical. An adult is a person who has reached the age of majority, which is the age at which the law will recognize them as an adult. This comes with certain rights and responsibilities.
The age of majority varies from state to state and country to country. In most countries, 18 years is the age of majority. However, this isn't always the case. In the United States, the Department of State has different regulations for each state.
Most states have set 18 years as the age of majority. Nebraska (Articles 43-210) and Alabama have established 19 years as the age of majority. Mississippi is the only state that has set the age of majority at 21 years (S1-3-2).
