legitimate

English Online Dictionary. What means legitimate‎? What does legitimate mean?

English

Etymology

From Middle English legitimat, legytymat, from Medieval Latin lēgitimātus, perfect passive participle of Latin lēgitimō (“make legal”), from Latin lēgitimus (“lawful”), originally "fixed by law, in line with the law," from Latin lēx (“law”). Originally "lawfully begotten".

The verb was derived from the adjective by conversion.

Pronunciation

• (adjective, noun) IPA^(key): /lɪˈd͡ʒɪt.ɪ.mət/, /ləˈd͡ʒɪt.ɪ.mət/
• (verb) IPA^(key): /lɪˈd͡ʒɪt.ɪ.meɪt/, /ləˈd͡ʒɪt.ɪ.meɪt/

Adjective

legitimate (comparative more legitimate, superlative most legitimate)

1. In accordance with the law or established legal forms and requirements.

   Synonyms: lawful, legal

   Antonym: illegitimate
2. Conforming to known principles, or established or accepted rules or standards; valid.
3. Authentic, real, genuine.

   Antonyms: illegitimate, false
4. Marital.

   Synonym: rightful

   2. (of a child) Lawfully begotten, i.e. born to a married couple or later legitimated. [from mid-14th c.]

      Antonym: illegitimate

   3. (of a sexual partner) Legally married.

5. Relating to hereditary rights.
6. Belonging or relating to the legitimate theater.

Derived terms

• legitimate drama
• legitimate interest
• legitimate theater

Translations

Noun

legitimate (plural legitimates)

1. A person born to a legally married couple.

Antonyms

• bastard
• illegitimate

Verb

legitimate (third-person singular simple present legitimates, present participle legitimating, simple past and past participle legitimated)

2. (transitive) To make legitimate, lawful, or valid; especially, to put in the position or state of a legitimate person before the law, by legal means. [from 1590]

Usage notes

• Forms of legitimize are about twice as common as forms of the verb legitimate in the US.
• Forms of legitimate are somewhat more common than the forms of the verbs legitimize and legitimise (combined) in the UK.

Synonyms

• legitimize

Derived terms

• delegitimate

Translations

References

• “legitimate”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
• legitimate in Keywords for Today: A 21st Century Vocabulary, edited by The Keywords Project, Colin MacCabe, Holly Yanacek, 2018.
• “legitimate”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “legitimate”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

Latin

Adjective

lēgitimāte

1. vocative masculine singular of lēgitimātus

Spanish

Verb

legitimate

1. second-person singular voseo imperative of legitimar combined with te