illegitimacy

American  

[il-i-jit-uh-muh-see] / ˌɪl ɪˈdʒɪt ə mə si /

noun

plural

illegitimacies

1. the state or quality of being illegitimate.

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illegitimacy Cultural  

1. The condition of being born to unmarried parents. It was once considered a mark of disgrace but is generally more accepted now.

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Etymology

Origin of illegitimacy

First recorded in 1670–80; illegitim(ate) + -acy

Example Sentences

The answer was provided in "The Authentic Appeal of the Lying Demagogue: Proclaiming the Deeper Truth about Political Illegitimacy," by Oliver Hahl and colleagues.

From Salon • Aug. 4, 2019

The book that prompted that thinking was called “The Illegitimacy of Jesus,” by a Biblical scholar named Jane Schaberg.

From Salon • Apr. 11, 2016

That’s when I first encountered Jane Schaberg’s book The Illegitimacy of Jesus, which was important to the central ideas in Mary Wept.

From Slate • Apr. 8, 2016

Illegitimacy was such a stigma at the time that Virginia would never have been approached by a scion of a wealthy family like Marsili.

From The Guardian • Sep. 26, 2012

Illegitimacy, xiv, 39; Marcus Aurelius on, viii, 133.

From Little Journeys to the Homes of the Great - Volume 14 Little Journeys to the Homes of Great Musicians by Hubbard, Elbert