English Explanatory Dictionary

illegitimate

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Not conforming to known principles, or established or accepted rules or standards.
  2. Not in accordance with the law.
  3. Not sanctioned by marriage.
  4. Born to unmarried parents.
  5. Having a child or children with a person to whom one is not married.
  6. Not correctly deduced.
  7. Not authorized by good usage; not genuine.
  8. Involving the fertilization of pistils by stamens not of their own length, in heterogonously dimorphic and trimorphic flowers.
noun
  1. A person born to unmarried parents.
verb
  1. To make illegitimate.

Pronunciation

/ɪlɪˈd͡ʒɪtɪmət/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-illegitimate.wav [ɪlɨˈd͡ʒɪɾəmɨt] /ɘlɘˈdʒɘtɘmɘt/ /ɪlɪˈd͡ʒɪtɪmeɪt/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-illegitimate (verb).wav [ɪlɨˈd͡ʒɪɾəmeɪt] /ɘlɘˈdʒɘtɘmeɪt/

Word forms

illegitimate more illegitimate most illegitimate illegitimates illegitimating illegitimated

Etymology

First attested in 1536, from Latin illēgitimus, most likely an adapted borrowing of Middle French illegitime, equivalent to il- + legitimate, see -ate (etymology 1, 2 and 3).

Synonyms

illegitimate base baseborn base born bastardly extramarital misbegotten nameless natural spurious unwanted degenerate invalid nonstandard illegal illicit unlawful crimeful criminal lawbreaking nonlawful outlawed wrongful illogical bogus ingenuine artificial bad bollocks concocted counterfeit ersatz fabricated false falsified fake faux feigned forged fraudulent mock phoney phony-baloney phony phony as a three-dollar bill pseudo put-up said to be sham synthetic unauthentic unreal trumped-up natural child lovechild bastard

Antonyms

legitimate valid acceptable allowable legit leveful licit permissible rightful rulable true legal de jure lawful trueborn logical bona fide actual authentic genuine lubish non-fake pukka real sterling unadulterated uncounterfeited undissembled unfaked unfeigned veritable

Related words

bastard

Derived words

illegit illegitimacy illegitimately illegitimateness illegitimate theater illegitimate theatre illegitimation illegitimatize illegitimize
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