English Explanatory Dictionary

legitimate

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. In accordance with the law or established legal forms and requirements.
  2. Conforming to known principles, or established or accepted rules or standards; valid.
  3. Authentic, real, genuine.
  4. Marital.
  5. Lawfully begotten, i.e. born to a married couple or later legitimated.
  6. Legally married.
  7. Relating to hereditary rights.
  8. Belonging or relating to the legitimate theater.
noun
  1. A person born to a legally married couple.
verb
  1. To make legitimate, lawful, or valid; especially, to put in the position or state of a legitimate person before the law, by legal means.

Pronunciation

/lɪˈd͡ʒɪt.ɪ.mət/ /ləˈd͡ʒɪt.ɪ.mət/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-legitimate (adj).wav LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-legitimate (verb).wav /lɪˈd͡ʒɪt.ɪ.meɪt/ /ləˈd͡ʒɪt.ɪ.meɪt/

Word forms

legitimate more legitimate most legitimate legitimates legitimating legitimated

Etymology

From Middle English legitimat, legytymat, from Medieval Latin lēgitimātus, perfect passive participle of Latin lēgitimō (“to make legal”) (see -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from Latin lēgitimus (“lawful”), originally "fixed by law, in line with the law," from Latin lēx (“law”). Originally "lawfully begotten". The noun was derived from the adjective within English or earlier by substantivization (see -ate (noun-forming suffix)), the verb from the adjective by conversion (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)).

Synonyms

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

Antonyms

illegitimate false artificial bad bogus bollocks concocted counterfeit ersatz fabricated falsified fake faux feigned forged fraudulent ingenuine mock phoney phony-baloney phony phony as a three-dollar bill pseudo put-up said to be sham spurious synthetic unauthentic unreal trumped-up bastard

Derived words

legitimate drama legitimate fertilization legitimate interest legitimately legitimateness legitimate theater legitimatize legitimator nonlegitimate semilegitimate delegitimate relegitimate
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