legitimate
according to law; lawful: the property's legitimate owner.
in accordance with established rules, principles, or standards.
born in wedlock or of legally married parents: legitimate children.
in accordance with the laws of reasoning; logically inferable; logical: a legitimate conclusion.
resting on or ruling by the principle of hereditary right: a legitimate sovereign.
not spurious or unjustified; genuine: It was a legitimate complaint.
of the normal or regular type or kind.
Theater. of or relating to professionally produced stage plays, as distinguished from burlesque, vaudeville, television, motion pictures, etc.: an actor in the legitimate theater.
to make lawful or legal; pronounce or state as lawful: Parliament legitimated his accession to the throne.
to establish as lawfully born: His bastard children were afterward legitimated by law.
to show or declare to be legitimate or proper: He was under obligation to legitimate his commission.
to justify; sanction or authorize: His behavior was legitimated by custom.
the legitimate, the legitimate theater or drama.
a person who is established as being legitimate.
Origin of legitimate
1Other words for legitimate
Opposites for legitimate
Other words from legitimate
- le·git·i·mate·ly, adverb
- le·git·i·mate·ness, noun
- le·git·i·ma·tion, noun
- de·le·git·i·mate, verb (used with object), de·le·git·i·mat·ed, de·le·git·i·mat·ing.
- de·le·git·i·ma·tion, noun
- non·le·git·i·mate, adjective
- post·le·git·i·ma·tion, noun
- qua·si-le·git·i·mate, adjective
- qua·si-le·git·i·mate·ly, adverb
Words that may be confused with legitimate
- legitimate , legitimize
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use legitimate in a sentence
He asked for a $5,000 loan from them and told them that if he failed to start a legitimate organization within 6 to 9 months, he would return to college.
We do that, and if it is a legitimate call, they will leave a message.
A well-regulated supply of short-term rentals can address legitimate community concerns and simultaneously increase access to the coast and provide significant revenues for local communities.
Cities Are Falling Short on Coastal Access – and Short-Term Rentals Could Help | Philip King and Sarah Jenkins | November 16, 2020 | Voice of San DiegoThe holder of the country’s highest office now baselessly disputes legitimate election results, espousers of baseless and dangerous conspiracy theories are elected to Congress, and fact-checking is a booming industry.
Remembering Alex Trebek, The Man With All The Answers | Oliver Roeder | November 9, 2020 | FiveThirtyEightPart of being a good race caller is declining to call races when there’s legitimate uncertainty.
Because early in his career, though we ridiculed it above, Affleck was legitimately great in several of his films.
Ben Affleck Delivers the Best Performance of His Career in ‘Gone Girl’ | Kevin Fallon | October 2, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTIt is a legitimately scary idea for people who are invested in things staying the way that they are.
Divisive as the film was, it was a bold move for Lohan, who was legitimately impressive in it.
Lindsay Lohan May Star in a West End Play. Is She Crazy? | Kevin Fallon | June 20, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe seller is in America and has offered no documentation proving that the 1,300-year-old object is owned legitimately.
There are some who were born legitimately desiring the same sex.
Grout is thin liquid mortar, and is legitimately used in gauged arches and other work when fine joints are desired.
But this foresight can scarcely belong to His glory, nor spare Him the reproaches which men could legitimately heap upon Him.
Superstition In All Ages (1732) | Jean MeslierThus there are certain fundamental liberties, which not even a democracy may legitimately infringe.
The Life of Mazzini | Bolton KingIt is so low a thing that it may be legitimately used as a means of reform or a means of anything deemed worth accomplishing.
The Letters of Ambrose Bierce | Ambrose BierceBecause I am in possession of rich ore, it does not follow that I did not come by it legitimately.
The Highgrader | William MacLeod Raine
British Dictionary definitions for legitimate
born in lawful wedlock; enjoying full filial rights
conforming to established standards of usage, behaviour, etc
based on correct or acceptable principles of reasoning
reasonable, sensible, or valid: a legitimate question
authorized, sanctioned by, or in accordance with law
of, relating to, or ruling by hereditary right: a legitimate monarch
of or relating to a body of famous long-established plays as distinct from films, television, vaudeville, etc: the legitimate theatre
(tr) to make, pronounce, or show to be legitimate
Origin of legitimate
1Derived forms of legitimate
- legitimacy or legitimateness, noun
- legitimately, adverb
- legitimation, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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