legitimate

[ adjective, noun li-jit-uh-mit; verb li-jit-uh-meyt ]

/ adjective, noun lɪˈdʒɪt ə mɪt; verb lɪˈdʒɪt əˌmeɪt /

See synonyms for: legitimate / legitimated / legitimates / legitimating on Thesaurus.com

adjective

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.

verb (used with object), le·git·i·mat·ed, le·git·i·mat·ing.

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.

noun

the legitimate, the legitimate theater or drama.

a person who is established as being legitimate.

SYNONYMS FOR legitimate

1 legal, licit.

2 sanctioned.

4 valid.

9 legalize.

See synonyms for legitimate on Thesaurus.com

ANTONYMS FOR legitimate

1 illegitimate.

See antonyms for legitimate on Thesaurus.com

QUIZZES

THIS PSAT VOCABULARY QUIZ IS PERFECT PRACTICE FOR THE REAL TEST

In our third teacher-created PSAT practice test there are new and unique vocabulary terms you may have never heard of! Can you guess what they mean?

Question 1 of 10

seclusion

a false belief or opinion.

the matter that settles to the bottom of a liquid.

the state of being isolated, kept apart, or withdrawn into solitude.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of legitimate

First recorded in 1485–95, legitimate is from the Medieval Latin word lēgitimātus (past participle of lēgitimāre to make lawful). See legitim, -ate¹

OTHER WORDS FROM legitimate

le·git·i·mate·ly, adverble·git·i·mate·ness, nounle·git·i·ma·tion, nounde·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, nounnon·le·git·i·mate, adjectivepost·le·git·i·ma·tion, nounqua·si-le·git·i·mate, adjectivequa·si-le·git·i·mate·ly, adverb

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH legitimate

legitimate , legitimize

British Dictionary definitions for legitimate

legitimate

adjective (lɪˈdʒɪtɪmɪt)

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 valida legitimate question

authorized, sanctioned by, or in accordance with law

of, relating to, or ruling by hereditary righta legitimate monarch

of or relating to a body of famous long-established plays as distinct from films, television, vaudeville, etcthe legitimate theatre

verb (lɪˈdʒɪtɪˌmeɪt)

(tr) to make, pronounce, or show to be legitimate

Derived forms of legitimate

legitimacy or legitimateness, nounlegitimately, adverblegitimation, noun

Word Origin for legitimate

C15: from Medieval Latin lēgitimātus made legal, from lēx law

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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WORD OF THE DAY

legitimate

adjective

verb (used with object), le·git·i·mat·ed, le·git·i·mat·ing.

noun

SYNONYMS FOR legitimate

ANTONYMS FOR legitimate

QUIZZES

THIS PSAT VOCABULARY QUIZ IS PERFECT PRACTICE FOR THE REAL TEST

Origin of legitimate

OTHER WORDS FROM legitimate

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH legitimate

British Dictionary definitions for legitimate

adjective (lɪˈdʒɪtɪmɪt)

verb (lɪˈdʒɪtɪˌmeɪt)

Derived forms of legitimate

Word Origin for legitimate

MEANINGS

WORD GAMES

LEARN

WRITING

WORD OF THE DAY

legitimate

adjective

verb (used with object), le·git·i·mat·ed, le·git·i·mat·ing.

noun

SYNONYMS FOR legitimate

ANTONYMS FOR legitimate

QUIZZES

THIS PSAT VOCABULARY QUIZ IS PERFECT PRACTICE FOR THE REAL TEST

Origin of legitimate

OTHER WORDS FROM legitimate

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH legitimate

Words related to legitimate

British Dictionary definitions for legitimate

adjective (lɪˈdʒɪtɪmɪt)

verb (lɪˈdʒɪtɪˌmeɪt)

Derived forms of legitimate

Word Origin for legitimate