legitimate

adjective

le·git·i·mate | \ li-ˈji-tə-mət

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

le·git·i·mate | \ li-ˈji-tə-ˌmāt

legitimated; legitimating

Definition of legitimate (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

: 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

Other Words from legitimate Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about legitimate

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Other Words from legitimate

Adjective

legitimately adverb

Verb

legitimation \ li-ˌji-tə-ˈmā-shən

\ noun

legitimator \ li-ˈji-tə-ˌmā-tər

\ noun

Synonyms & Antonyms for legitimate

Synonyms: Adjective

lawful, legal, legit [slang], licit

Antonyms: Adjective

illegal, illegitimate, illicit, lawless, unlawful, wrongful

Choose the Right Synonym for legitimate

Adjective

lawful, legal, legitimate, licit mean being in accordance with law. lawful may apply to conformity with law of any sort (such as natural, divine, common, or canon). the lawful sovereign legal applies to what is sanctioned by law or in conformity with the law, especially as it is written or administered by the courts. legal residents of the state legitimate may apply to a legal right or status but also, in extended use, to a right or status supported by tradition, custom, or accepted standards. a perfectly legitimate question about taxes licit applies to a strict conformity to the provisions of the law and applies especially to what is regulated by law. the licit use of drugs by doctors

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

That could be a totally legitimate paper, but not for these folks. — Diana Gitig, Ars Technica, "Sugar cures cancer! (Not really, but one sugar may help chemo)," 21 Nov. 2018 There are many reasons why survivors may choose not to report their assaults to law enforcement, and McGovern stressed that going to law enforcement doesn’t make an assault more legitimate than someone who chooses not to report. — Brittney Mcnamara, Teen Vogue, "A Year After the Weinstein Allegations, the #MeToo Movement Largely Hasn't Reformed Survivor Justice," 4 Oct. 2018 No one can argue about the relative strength of the conference/division because everyone with a legitimate claim on the championship will get a chance to play in the tournament. — Andy Staples, SI.com, "‘Strategic Entertainment’ vs. Entertaining Entertainment: The Flip Side of the NFL-CFB Debate," 11 July 2018 This would be a really good time for the IronBirds to make another legitimate run for the playoffs. — The Aegis, "Hope springs eternal [Editorial]," 13 June 2018 Observer file photo Buddy Baker: Baker has a legitimate argument as one of NASCAR's best drivers who never won a championship. — Brendan Marks, charlotteobserver, "Jeff Gordon's in, of course. But who should join him in 2019 NASCAR Hall of Fame class? | Charlotte Observer," 22 May 2018 Part of the controversy stems from a rift between some chemists and physicists over who should be the legitimate custodians of the periodic table. — Edwin Cartlidge, Scientific American, "The Battle Behind the Periodic Table’s Latest Additions," 13 June 2018 Worse, researchers have shown that Web bots making random guesses on legitimate websites can often come up with the appropriate CVV and expiration date to pair with a card number. — Megan Geuss, Ars Technica, "Pilot project demos credit cards with shifting CVV codes to stop fraud," 28 Dec. 2018 But until now, even after Twitter privately identified an account as suspicious and locked it, that account would still be included among the legitimate followers of a user. — Nicholas Confessore, New York Times, "Battling Fake Accounts, Twitter to Slash Millions of Followers," 11 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

In other instances, however, China uses international institutions to legitimate its own interests. — Elizabeth Economy, WSJ, "Xi Jinping’s Superpower Plans," 19 July 2018 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

These 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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Last Updated

21 Feb 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for legitimate

The first known use of legitimate was in the 15th century

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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

le·git·i·mate | \ li-ˈji-tə-mət

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

le·git·i·mate | \ lə-ˈji-tə-mət

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