| lave | To wash or bathe. |
| lawgiver | A legislator. |
| lawmaker | A legislator. |
| lax | Not stringent or energetic. |
| laxative | Having power to open or loosen the bowels. |
| lea | A field. |
| leaflet | A little leaf or a booklet. |
| leaven | To make light by fermentation, as dough. |
| leeward | That side or direction toward which the wind blows. |
| left-handed | Using the left hand or arm more dexterously than the right. |
| legacy | A bequest. |
| legalize | To give the authority of law to. |
| legging | A covering for the leg. |
| legible | That may be read with ease. |
| legionary | A member of an ancient Roman legion or of the modern French Legion of Honor. |
| legislate | To make or enact a law or laws. |
| legislative | That makes or enacts laws. |
| legislator | A lawgiver. |
| legitimacy | Accordance with law. |
| legitimate | Having the sanction of law or established custom. |
| leisure | Spare time. |
| leniency | Forbearance. |
| lenient | Not harsh. |
| leonine | Like a lion. |
| lethargy | Prolonged sluggishness of body or mind. |
| levee | An embankment beside a river or stream or an arm of the sea, to prevent overflow. |
| lever | That which exerts, or through which one may exert great power. |
| leviathan | Any large animal, as a whale. |
| levity | Frivolity. |
| levy | To impose and collect by force or threat of force. |
| lewd | Characterized by lust or lasciviousness. |
| lexicographer | One who makes dictionaries. |
| lexicography | The making of dictionaries. |
| lexicon | A dictionary. |
| liable | Justly or legally responsible. |
| libel | Defamation. |
| liberalism | Opposition to conservatism. |
| liberate | To set free or release from bondage. |
| licentious | Wanton. |
| licit | Lawful. |
| liege | Sovereign. |
| lien | A legal claim or hold on property, as security for a debt or charge. |
| lieu | Stead. |
| lifelike | Realistic. |
| lifelong | Lasting or continuous through life. |
| lifetime | The time that life continues. |
| ligament | That which binds objects together. |
| ligature | Anything that constricts, or serves for binding or tying. |
| light-hearted | Free from care. |
| ligneous | Having the texture of appearance of wood. |