bastardy
noun
bas·tardy
ˈba-stər-dē 
plural bastardies
1
: the quality or state of being born to parents who are not married to each other
2
: the fathering of a child with someone one is not married to
Examples of bastardy in a Sentence
acutely conscious of his bastardy, he always felt the need to prove himself
Recent Examples on the Web
Baseness, bastardy, base They are also reflected in the game’s popularity, especially among those with the most detached view of America: the millions of immigrants who have arrived over baseball’s history.
—
The Economist, 8 June 2019
Johanna Luthman, a historian at the University of North Georgia, has worked for years to understand the practice and repercussions of fornication, adultery and bastardy among the early 17th-century English aristocracy.
—Richard Davenport-Hines, WSJ, 11 Aug. 2017
The Economist, 8 June 2019
Johanna Luthman, a historian at the University of North Georgia, has worked for years to understand the practice and repercussions of fornication, adultery and bastardy among the early 17th-century English aristocracy.
—Richard Davenport-Hines, WSJ, 11 Aug. 2017
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bastardy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of bastardy was
in the 15th century
Dictionary Entries Near bastardy
Cite this Entry
“Bastardy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bastardy. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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