Definition of legitimate
1 a
: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
3 a
: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
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