What does legitimate mean?

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

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word legitimate.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. legitimateadjective

    of marriages and offspring; recognized as lawful

  2. legitimate, logicaladjective

    based on known statements or events or conditions

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

  3. legitimateadjective

    in accordance with recognized or accepted standards or principles

    "legitimate advertising practices"

  4. lawful, legitimate, licitverb

    authorized, sanctioned by, or in accordance with law

    "a legitimate government"

  5. legalize, legalise, decriminalize, decriminalise, legitimize, legitimise, legitimate, legitimatize, legitimatiseverb

    make legal

    "Marijuana should be legalized"

  6. legitimateverb

    show or affirm to be just and legitimate

  7. legitimateverb

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

    "They legitimized their natural child"

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. LEGITIMATEadjective

    Born in marriage; lawfully begotten.

    Etymology: from legitimus, Lat. legitime, French.

    Legitimate Edgar, I must have your land;
    Our father’s love is to the bastard Edmund. William Shakespeare.

    An adulterous person is tied to make provision for the children begotten in unlawful embraces, that they may do no injury to the legitimate, by receiving a common portion. Jeremy Taylor, Rule of Holy Living.

  2. To Legitimateverb

    Etymology: legitimer, Fr. from the adjective.

    Legitimate him that was a bastard. John Ayliffe, Parergon.

    It would be impossible for any enterprize to be lawful, if that which should legitimate it is subsequent to it, and can have no influence to make it good or bad. Decay of Piety.

ChatGPT

  1. legitimate

    Legitimate is defined as being in compliance with the law or accepted standards or rules, or conforming to recognized principles or accepted rules and standards. It refers to something or someone that is legal, rightful, valid, or genuine. Legitimate can be used in various contexts such as law, business, and casual settings, referring to authority, power, actions, births, transactions, etc.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Legitimateadjective

    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

  2. Legitimateadjective

    lawfully begotten; born in wedlock

  3. Legitimateadjective

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

  4. Legitimateadjective

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

  5. Legitimateadjective

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

  6. Legitimateverb

    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

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

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary

  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

  1. legitimate

    In accordance with the relevant legislation.

    The fuel costs for the business are legitimate.


    Submitted by MaryC on March 8, 2020  

Matched Categories

British National Corpus

  1. Adjectives Frequency

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

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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. The DEA:

    We are trying to meet the legitimate medical need while balancing the amount of material manufactured because the excess material can ultimately lead to diversion.

  2. Jen Psaki:

    Storming the Capitol in an attempt to hold the peaceful transition of power is not legitimate political discourse, neither is attacking and injuring over 140 police officers, smashing windows and defiling offices.

  3. Russian President Vladimir Putin:

    I can tell you what we do not want: we do not want Syria to end like Iraq or Libya, look at Egypt: one has to praise President Sisi for taking over the responsibility and power in an emergency situation, in order to stabilize the country. Therefore, one should try anything to support the legitimate rulers in Syria.

  4. Brad Raffensperger:

    Making sure Georgia’s voter rolls are up to date is key to ensuring the integrity of our elections, that is why I fought and beat Stacey Abrams in court in 2019 to remove nearly 300,000 obsolete voter files before the November election, and will do so again this year. Bottom line, there is no legitimate reason to keep ineligible voters on the rolls.

  5. Jenna Drenten:

    This wedding is extra special because we have a legitimate interest in the wedding, it is like we have an invite.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

legitimate#1#8066#10000

Translations for legitimate

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"legitimate." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 23 Apr. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/legitimate>.

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