legitimate

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

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

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.

ANTONYMS FOR legitimate

1 illegitimate.

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 legitimation

Here she got into difficulties with the police, as she had no papers of legitimation, and to escape them, enlisted.

Historic Oddities |Sabine Baring-Gould
Through the legitimation of a divine woman open enmity between the religion of woman and the religion of the Church was avoided.

The Evolution of Love |Emil Lucka
It is a modern error to regard the legitimation of estates in tail as a triumph of reactionary feudalism over the will of Edward.

The History of England |T.F. Tout
See Legitimacy and Legitimation; and, for statistics, Illegitimacy.

Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, Slice 4 |Various

In all cases the legitimation is retrospective, taking effect from the birth of the child.

Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 16, Slice 4 |Various

British Dictionary definitions for legitimation

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 legitimation

British Dictionary definitions for legitimation

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

Example sentences from the Web for legitimation

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

adjective (lɪˈdʒɪtɪmɪt)

verb (lɪˈdʒɪtɪˌmeɪt)

Derived forms of legitimate

Word Origin for legitimate

British Dictionary definitions for legitimation