legitimate
adjective
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Definition of legitimate
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a : lawfully begotten specifically : born in wedlock
b : having full filial rights and obligations by birth a legitimate child
2 : being exactly as purposed : neither spurious nor false a legitimate grievance a legitimate practitioner
3a : accordant with law or with established legal forms and requirements a legitimate government
b : ruling by or based on the strict principle of hereditary right a legitimate king
4 : conforming to recognized principles or accepted rules and standards a legitimate advertising expenditure a legitimate inference
5 : relating to plays acted by professional actors but not including revues, burlesque, or some forms of musical comedy the legitimate theater
legitimate
verb
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Definition of legitimate (Entry 2 of 2)
: to make (someone or something) legitimate (see legitimate entry 1):
a(1) : to give legal status or authorization to
(2) : to show or affirm to be justified
(3) : to lend authority or respectability to
b : to give (a child born out of wedlock) the same legal status as a child born in wedlock
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Other words from legitimate
Adjective
Verb
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noun
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noun
Synonyms & Antonyms for legitimate
Synonyms: Adjective
lawful, legal, legit [slang], licit
Antonyms: Adjective
illegal, illegitimate, illicit, lawless, unlawful, wrongful
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Examples of legitimate in a Sentence
Adjective
Law books were getting thicker by the week with Supreme Court decisions barring legitimate claims because they weren't timely filed. —John Grisham, The Chamber, 1995 Even in many courtrooms, where there is valid concern about the privacy of defendants, judges recognize that camera coverage serves a legitimate public interest. —New Republic, 22 Feb. 1993 He was indeed already a legitimate child according to the law of Scotland, by the subsequent marriage of his parents. —Sir Walter Scott, The Heart of Mid-Lothian, 1818 legitimate means for achieving success the legitimate use of firearms There's no legitimate reason for prescribing this medication to a child.Verb
Which comes first, the desire to legitimate euthanasia or the nullifying of a distinction between killing and allowing to die? —Daniel Callahan, Commonweal, 2 June 2000 Poland has ceased being a nation with even a pretense of Communist rule, a rule that is legitimated by Marxist ideology. —Irving Kristol, Wall Street Journal, 11 Jan. 1982 … they are more concerned with the ways in which schools and colleges legitimate and maintain inequality than with the ways they devalue and restrict personal autonomy. —Christopher Jencks, New York Times Book Review, 15 Feb. 1976 slang words legitimated by usage Her tendency to be secretive only serves to legitimate their suspicions.
Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
While Texas ranked high for infrastructure and economy, some areas the state did not do so well in raise legitimate concerns for the state's future. — Francisca Ortega, Houston Chronicle, "CNBC ranks Texas No. 1 for business, but offers residents a few warnings," 11 July 2018 While Trump’s negotiating objectives are far from clear, the US, like Europe, has legitimate concerns about China’s lack of enforcement of intellectual property. — Emily Stewart, Vox, "Can the US-China trade war be stopped? 11 experts weigh in.," 8 July 2018 And of course, beliefs over what constitutes censorship versus legitimate moderation can vary widely. — Jacob Silverman, Longreads, "Private Telegram, Public Strife," 3 July 2018 Still, the reclassification will likely make medical cannabis more legitimate. — Angela Chen, The Verge, "Here’s what’s next now that the FDA has approved a cannabis drug for seizures," 29 June 2018 Most legitimate awards do not come with significant costs to the recipient. — Veronica Craker, idahostatesman, "Your business might deserve an honor, but be wary of ‘vanity awards’ seeking money," 16 June 2018 That’s a perfectly legitimate objective from the government’s point of view. — New York Times, "In Targeting Times Reporter, Justice Dept. Backs Trump’s Anti-Press Rhetoric," 10 June 2018 Kennedy said both sides in the case raised legitimate concerns. — Greg Stohr, Bloomberg.com, "Cake Baker’s Supreme Court Win Leaves Open Questions on Gay Rights," 4 June 2018 What adaptations are needed to assure our safety and comfort and relieve our children’s legitimate concerns for our welfare? — sandiegouniontribune.com, "How to age well and stay in your home," 1 June 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
The coupon follows similar format to legitimate Kroger coupons, with an expiration date of August 30 and a barcode. — Holly Shively, ajc, "$250 Kroger coupon circulating on social media a fake; company warns don’t click on it," 9 July 2018 The Tigers impressive week to them from on the bubble of even making the tournament to legitimate contention for a No. 2 seed. — Brody Miller, NOLA.com, "LSU's SEC Tournament run ends in championship loss to Ole Miss," 27 May 2018 Now, as the technology expands from a fringe hacker toy to legitimate business applications, opportunists have flooded the field. — Erin Griffith, WIRED, "187 Things the Blockchain Is Supposed to Fix," 25 May 2018 At the moment, the pressing issue is how the Padres propose to jump from non-factor to legitimate contender. — Dennis Lin, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Padres extend A.J. Preller through 2022," 3 Dec. 2017 By legitimating ethno-national passions, intellectuals created and unleashed them. — William A. Galston, WSJ, "Macron’s Democratic Vision," 24 Apr. 2018 The North Korean ruler will get an early bonus just by meeting as an equal with Mr. Trump, which legitimates Mr. Kim’s rule. — Robert B. Zoellick, WSJ, "10 Tips for Negotiating With Kim Jong Un," 27 Mar. 2018 Perhaps there should be apologies and reparative action from the publishers that printed, promoted, circulated, and profited from materials that served to legitimate Jim Crow and racist domestic terrorism. — Alfred Brophy, Fortune, "Commentary: Why Haven’t Publishers Apologized for Their Books That Glorify Slavery?," 2 Feb. 2018 But such a failure would probably, nonetheless, help to legitimate his existing efforts to undermine liberal norms and consolidate his influence over federal law enforcement, at least to his fellow members of the Republican Party. — Eric Levitz, Daily Intelligencer, "The President Seems to Think a Second 9/11 Would Have Its Upsides," 30 Jan. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'legitimate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for legitimate
legitimate
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of legitimate
(Entry 1 of 2)
: allowed according to rules or laws
: real, accepted, or official
: fair or reasonable
legitimate
verb
English Language Learners Definition of legitimate (Entry 2 of 2)
: to make (something) real, accepted, or official
: to show that (something or someone) is fair or reasonable
See the full definition for legitimate in the English Language Learners Dictionary
legitimate
adjective
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Kids Definition of legitimate
1 : accepted by the law as rightful : lawful a legitimate heir
2 : being right or acceptable a legitimate excuse
legitimate
adjective
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Legal Definition of legitimate
(Entry 1 of 2)
1 : conceived or born of parents lawfully married to each other or having been made through legal procedure equal in status to one so conceived or born also : having rights and obligations under the law as the child of such birth
2 : being neither spurious nor false a legitimate grievance
3 : being in accordance with law or with established legal forms and requirements a legitimate government
4 : conforming to recognized principles or accepted rules and standards a legitimate claim of entitlement a legitimate business reason
legitimate
transitive verb
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Legal Definition of legitimate (Entry 2 of 2)
: to make legitimate: as
a : to give legal status or authorization to
b : to show or affirm to be justified or have merit
c : to put (an illegitimate child) in the state of a child born of married parents before the law by legal means — compare filiate
Other words from legitimate
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noun
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