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(0.00 / 0 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

2. Legitimate(adj)

   lawfully begotten; born in wedlock

3. Legitimate(adj)

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

4. Legitimate(adj)

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

5. Legitimate(adj)

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

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

Origin: [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.]

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. Carly Fiorina:

   These are legitimate questions.

2. Vincent DeVito:

   On its merits, the claim is legitimate.

3. Eugene Jarvis:

   The only legitimate use of a computer is to play games.

4. Russell Simmons:

   Their demands are so legitimate and so easy to understand.

5. Benjamin Haydon:

   The only legitimate artists in England are the architects.

Images & Illustrations of legitimate

Popularity rank by frequency of use