illegitimacy

American

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

noun

plural

illegitimacies

the state or quality of being illegitimate.

illegitimacy Cultural

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

Etymology

Origin of illegitimacy

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The University of Washington appears to have enshrined an orthodoxy about the illegitimacy of its own existence.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 29, 2025

He also insisted that Iran's doctrine was "rooted in our belief in the prohibition and illegitimacy of nuclear weapons".

From BBC • Jun. 19, 2025

Therefore anti-war protesters coalesced in Chicago to protest Humphrey's impending coronation, lending an air of illegitimacy to the otherwise inevitable.

From Salon • Aug. 18, 2024

As I was reading the book, I remembered the illegitimacy I felt as a child when I realized my parents were unwed.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 16, 2023

“A degradation to illegitimacy and ignorance, to be married to a respectable, intelligent gentleman-farmer!”

From "Emma" by Jane Austen

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023