legitimately

adverb

le·​git·​i·​mate·​ly li-ˈji-tə-mət-lē 

: in a legitimate manner : according to what is lawful, permitted, appropriate, or reasonable

money earned legitimately [=legally]

a question that can be legitimately asked

… objects of ritual significance that were common tribal property seldom if ever could have come legitimately into nontribal hands.

—Robert McC. Adams

The other kind of steroids are the potent inflammation fighters widely and legitimately used to treat dozens of illnesses.

—Paul G. Donohue

… several objections to their book can legitimately be raised.

—Christopher Lehmann-Haupt

Examples of legitimately in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Defense lawyer Roxanne Mendez Johnson said Curry had legitimately qualified for Social Security since age 12 due to a disability and never had a job. —Meredith Colias-Pete, Chicago Tribune, 7 Jan. 2026

That’s not a job many would have the appetite for, but the members of Coach Tyronn Lue’s team seem legitimately undeterred and undaunted. —Mirjam Swanson, Oc Register, 6 Jan. 2026

There isn’t a single NHL team that wouldn’t want to add a fast winger that hits everything that moves to their lineup for the playoffs, especially if that speedy, physical winger is also on pace to score 30 goals and is a legitimately gifted one-shot goal scoring threat with rush attacking value. —Thomas Drance, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2026

Trump just pardoned the former president of Honduras, who was legitimately indicted on drug charges six years ago. —Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 5 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1593, in the meaning defined above