illegitimate

adjective

ˌi-li-ˈji-tə-mət How to pronounce illegitimate (audio)
Definition of illegitimatenext
1
as in spurious
born to a father and mother who are not married despite being illegitimate, Alexander Hamilton rose to greatness

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in illegal
contrary to or forbidden by law an illegitimate use of campaign contributions for personal expenses

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in unreasonable
not using or following good reasoning made several illegitimate inferences

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of illegitimate That difference suggests that the government sees this extension of patent rights as an illegitimate way for a company to exclude other companies from competing. — Julie Dawson, The Conversation, 23 June 2026 Some fraudsters run an illegitimate DME company and get a doctor to prescribe the equipment. — Janice Neumann, Chicago Tribune, 16 June 2026 Yet these arrangements are rarely viewed as inherently illegitimate. — Bobby Zirkin, Baltimore Sun, 4 June 2026 That does not automatically mean every lawsuit involving a president and an executive agency is illegitimate. — Andrew Leahey, Forbes.com, 29 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for illegitimate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for illegitimate
  1. spurious
  2. unlawful
  3. unreasonable
  4. misbegotten
  5. illicit
  6. irrational
  7. adopted
  8. criminal
Adjective
  • These spurious claims about childhood vaccines will only increase vaccine hesitation with harmful results.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Researchers found that models can score well on standard benchmarks while relying on spurious correlations in their training data.
    — Lucas Zhao, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
Definition of spurious
Adjective
  • The party also viewed Yabloko’s stance on Ukraine as unlawful and tantamount to calling for the violation of Russia’s territorial integrity.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The duo and two others, Mohammed Hurabi and Lars Zeepvat, were hit with the worst charges — felony corrupt organizations, conspiracy, dealing in proceeds of unlawful activity, and other related offenses.
    — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of unlawful
Adjective
  • The Saturday order said that expecting LeVota’s attorneys to adequately prepare for trial before April would be unreasonable and that denying the request could interfere with his right to effective legal representation.
    — Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 17 Aug. 2026
  • In her lawsuit, Phyllis Zorn said the raid violated protections for a free press, safeguards against unreasonable searches by law enforcement and a federal law that limits searches and seizures of journalists' materials.
    — Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of unreasonable
Adjective
  • Presented by Hollywood Entertainment, the evening could be ground zero for the next stage of the misbegotten movie’s revival.
    — Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
  • At next week’s meeting, Kevin Warsh must vigorously attack this misbegotten idea, the Phillips Curve.
    — Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
Definition of misbegotten
Adjective
  • Officials with family connections abroad have long been a target of Beijing’s anti-corruption watchdog – oversight designed to eliminate the opportunity to transfer illicit funds abroad.
    — Sylvie Zhuang, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Vietnam is a major hub for the illicit trade of wildlife, dead and alive.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of illicit
Adjective
  • But the question remained unsolved for polygons with irrational angles.
    — Sam Macdonald, Scientific American, 14 Aug. 2026
  • As a result, the argument goes, today's spending is irrational because the hardware would need to be replaced too frequently to generate an attractive return on investment, known as ROI.
    — , CNBC, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of irrational
Adjective
  • The adopted operating budget for 2026 was $883 million, a number that could inch closer to $1 billion in 2027.
    — Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 16 June 2026
  • For now, the fish are functioning fine in their adopted creek.
    — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2026
Definition of adopted
Adjective
  • In the filing, the Justice Department urged the appeals court to reverse the Tennessee federal judge’s ruling dismissing criminal charges against Abrego Garcia.
    — Siladitya Ray, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Another person, Robert Zanolla, faces charges of felony conspiracy and criminal use of a communication facility, as well as related misdemeanors, the office said.
    — Kevin Shalvey, ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of criminal

Browse Nearby Words

illegitimacy
illegitimate
ill-fated
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Cite this Entry

“Illegitimate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illegitimate. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of illegitimate for Spanish Speakers

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