Definitions for legitimate
lɪˈdʒɪt ə mɪt; -ˌmeɪtle·git·i·mate

Princeton's WordNet(5.00 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

1. legitimate(adj)

   of marriages and offspring; recognized as lawful

2. legitimate, logical(adj)

   based on known statements or events or conditions

   "rain was a logical expectation, given the time of year"

3. legitimate(adj)

   in accordance with recognized or accepted standards or principles

   "legitimate advertising practices"

4. lawful, legitimate, licit(verb)

   authorized, sanctioned by, or in accordance with law

   "a legitimate government"

5. legalize, legalise, decriminalize, decriminalise, legitimize, legitimise, legitimate, legitimatize, legitimatise(verb)

   make legal

   "Marijuana should be legalized"

6. legitimate(verb)

   show or affirm to be just and legitimate

7. legitimate(verb)

   make (an illegitimate child) legitimate; declare the legitimacy of (someone)

   "They legitimized their natural child"

Webster Dictionary(5.00 / 3 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Legitimate(adj)

   accordant with law or with established legal forms and requirements; lawful; as, legitimate government; legitimate rights; the legitimate succession to the throne; a legitimate proceeding of an officer; a legitimate heir

   Etymology: [LL. legitimatus, p. p. of legitimare to legitimate, fr. L. legitimus legitimate. See Legal.]

2. Legitimate(adj)

   lawfully begotten; born in wedlock

   Etymology: [LL. legitimatus, p. p. of legitimare to legitimate, fr. L. legitimus legitimate. See Legal.]

3. Legitimate(adj)

   authorized; real; genuine; not false, counterfeit, or spurious; as, legitimate poems of Chaucer; legitimate inscriptions

   Etymology: [LL. legitimatus, p. p. of legitimare to legitimate, fr. L. legitimus legitimate. See Legal.]

4. Legitimate(adj)

   conforming to known principles, or accepted rules; as, legitimate reasoning; a legitimate standard, or method; a legitimate combination of colors

   Etymology: [LL. legitimatus, p. p. of legitimare to legitimate, fr. L. legitimus legitimate. See Legal.]

5. Legitimate(adj)

   following by logical sequence; reasonable; as, a legitimate result; a legitimate inference

   Etymology: [LL. legitimatus, p. p. of legitimare to legitimate, fr. L. legitimus legitimate. See Legal.]

6. Legitimate(verb)

   to make legitimate, lawful, or valid; esp., to put in the position or state of a legitimate person before the law, by legal means; as, to legitimate a bastard child

   Etymology: [LL. legitimatus, p. p. of legitimare to legitimate, fr. L. legitimus legitimate. See Legal.]

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Legitimate

   le-jit′i-māt, adj. lawful: lawfully begotten, born in wedlock: fairly deduced: following by natural sequence: authorised by usage.—v.t. to make lawful: to give the rights of a legitimate child to an illegitimate one.—n. Legit′imacy, state of being legitimate: lawfulness of birth: regular deduction: directness of descent as affecting the royal succession.—adv. Legit′imately.—ns. Legit′imateness, lawfulness; Legitimā′tion, act of rendering legitimate, esp. of conferring the privileges of lawful birth.—v.t. Legit′imise (same as Legitimate).—n. Legit′imist, one who supports legitimate authority: in France, a follower of the elder Bourbon line (descendants of Louis XIV.), as opposed to the Orleanists or supporters of the descendants of the Duke of Orleans, Louis XIV.'s brother.—Legitimate drama, a designation frequently applied to the representation of Shakespeare's plays—often employed as vaguely indicating approval of the drama of some former time. [Low L. legitimāre. -ātum—L. legitimus, lawful—lex, law.]

Editors Contribution(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. legitimate

   In accordance with the relevant legislation.

   The fuel costs for the business are legitimate.

   Submitted by MaryC on March 8, 2020  

British National Corpus

1. Adjectives Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'legitimate' in Adjectives Frequency: #752

How to pronounce legitimate?

1. 

   Alex

   US English

   

   Daniel

   British

   

   Karen

   Australian

   

   Veena

   Indian

How to say legitimate in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of legitimate in Chaldean Numerology is: 4

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of legitimate in Pythagorean Numerology is: 2

Examples of legitimate in a Sentence

1. President Vladimir Putin:

   Our task is to stabilize the legitimate government and to create conditions for a political compromise ... by military means, of course.

2. Barack Obama:

   The question is just: is there a way of accommodating that legitimate set of traditions with some common-sense stuff that prevents a 21-year-old who is angry about something or confused about something or is racist or is deranged from going into a gun store, that is not something that we have ever fully come to terms with.

3. Russell Simmons:

   Their demands are so legitimate and so easy to understand.

4. Russian President Vladimir Putin:

   Our task is to stabilize the legitimate government and to create conditions for a political compromise, by military means, of course. The units of international terrorists and their ilk have no desire to negotiate with the Syrian government, who is almost sieged in its own capital.

5. Douglas Rappaport:

   Denise Huskin was the victim of a very serious assault, they quickly threw her under the bus, and threw the bus on her, but this was a legitimate crime.

Images & Illustrations of legitimate

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