legitimate

[ adjective, noun li-jit-uh-mit; verb li-jit-uh-meyt ]

/ adjective, noun lɪˈdʒɪt ə mɪt; verb lɪˈdʒɪt əˌmeɪt /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR legitimate ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

according to law; lawful: the property's legitimate owner.

in accordance with established rules, principles, or standards.

born in wedlock or of legally married parents: legitimate children.

in accordance with the laws of reasoning; logically inferable; logical: a legitimate conclusion.

resting on or ruling by the principle of hereditary right: a legitimate sovereign.

not spurious or unjustified; genuine: It was a legitimate complaint.

of the normal or regular type or kind.

Theater. of or relating to professionally produced stage plays, as distinguished from burlesque, vaudeville, television, motion pictures, etc.: an actor in the legitimate theater.

verb (used with object), le·git·i·mat·ed, le·git·i·mat·ing.

to make lawful or legal; pronounce or state as lawful: Parliament legitimated his accession to the throne.

to establish as lawfully born: His bastard children were afterward legitimated by law.

to show or declare to be legitimate or proper: He was under obligation to legitimate his commission.

to justify; sanction or authorize: His behavior was legitimated by custom.

noun

the legitimate, the legitimate theater or drama.

a person who is established as being legitimate.

Origin of legitimate

First recorded in 1485–95, legitimate is from the Medieval Latin word lēgitimātus (past participle of lēgitimāre to make lawful). See legitim, -ate¹

SYNONYMS FOR legitimate

1 legal, licit.

2 sanctioned.

4 valid.

9 legalize.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR legitimate ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR legitimate

1 illegitimate.

SEE ANTONYMS FOR legitimate ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM legitimate

le·git·i·mate·ly, adverb le·git·i·mate·ness, noun le·git·i·ma·tion, noun de·le·git·i·mate, verb (used with object), de·le·git·i·mat·ed, de·le·git·i·mat·ing.

de·le·git·i·ma·tion, noun non·le·git·i·mate, adjective post·le·git·i·ma·tion, noun qua·si-le·git·i·mate, adjective qua·si-le·git·i·mate·ly, adverb

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH legitimate

legitimate legitimize

Words nearby legitimate

legislature, legist, legit, legitim, legitimacy, legitimate, legitimate government, legitimatize, legitimist, legitimize, leglen

Example sentences from the Web for legitimately

Because early in his career, though we ridiculed it above, Affleck was legitimately great in several of his films.

Ben Affleck Delivers the Best Performance of His Career in ‘Gone Girl’ |Kevin Fallon |October 2, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
It is a legitimately scary idea for people who are invested in things staying the way that they are.

Laurie Penny’s In-Your-Face Feminism |Rachel Hills |September 18, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Divisive as the film was, it was a bold move for Lohan, who was legitimately impressive in it.

Lindsay Lohan May Star in a West End Play. Is She Crazy? |Kevin Fallon |June 20, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
And it has been, I readily concede, legitimately true at times.

The Democrats Need to Stop Freaking Out About Obamacare and Take Charge |Michael Tomasky |November 14, 2013 |DAILY BEAST

A legitimately good pilot was followed by a series of schizophrenic episodes.

Mindy Kaling on How ‘The Mindy Project’ Became Legitimately Great |Kevin Fallon |September 17, 2013 |DAILY BEAST
The deduction cannot be legitimately drawn until the possibility of any other cause of specific modification has been excluded.

Darwin, and After Darwin, Volume II (of 3) |George John Romanes
Under the Constitution could the Union be legitimately dissolved?

Abraham Lincoln's Cardinal Traits; |Clark S. Beardslee
Can I legitimately gather from it anything more than another proof of His constant readiness to stand in the breach?

The Expositor's Bible: The Gospel of St John, Vol. II |Marcus Dods
The point to which this allegorical interpretation can legitimately be carried need not trouble us here.

Pastoral Poetry and Pastoral Drama |Walter W. Greg
We may, then, legitimately attach to the word Wealth two meanings.

Harmonies of Political Economy |Frdric Bastiat

British Dictionary definitions for legitimately

legitimate

adjective (lɪˈdʒɪtɪmɪt)

born in lawful wedlock; enjoying full filial rights

conforming to established standards of usage, behaviour, etc

based on correct or acceptable principles of reasoning

reasonable, sensible, or valid a legitimate question

authorized, sanctioned by, or in accordance with law

of, relating to, or ruling by hereditary right a legitimate monarch

of or relating to a body of famous long-established plays as distinct from films, television, vaudeville, etc the legitimate theatre

verb (lɪˈdʒɪtɪˌmeɪt)

(tr) to make, pronounce, or show to be legitimate

Derived forms of legitimate

legitimacy or legitimateness, noun legitimately, adverb legitimation, noun

Word Origin for legitimate

C15: from Medieval Latin lēgitimātus made legal, from lēx law

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

legitimate

adjective

verb (used with object), le·git·i·mat·ed, le·git·i·mat·ing.

noun

Origin of legitimate

SYNONYMS FOR legitimate

ANTONYMS FOR legitimate

OTHER WORDS FROM legitimate

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH legitimate

Words nearby legitimate

Example sentences from the Web for legitimately

British Dictionary definitions for legitimately

adjective (lɪˈdʒɪtɪmɪt)

verb (lɪˈdʒɪtɪˌmeɪt)

Derived forms of legitimate

Word Origin for legitimate

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

legitimate

adjective

verb (used with object), le·git·i·mat·ed, le·git·i·mat·ing.

noun

Origin of legitimate

SYNONYMS FOR legitimate

ANTONYMS FOR legitimate

OTHER WORDS FROM legitimate

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH legitimate

Words nearby legitimate

Words related to legitimately

Example sentences from the Web for legitimately

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for legitimately

adjective (lɪˈdʒɪtɪmɪt)

verb (lɪˈdʒɪtɪˌmeɪt)

Derived forms of legitimate

Word Origin for legitimate

British Dictionary definitions for legitimately