1
as in spurious
born to a father and mother who are not married
despite being illegitimate, Alexander Hamilton rose to greatness
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of illegitimate
Trump has called those prosecutions illegitimate and politically motivated, while his critics have noted that they were brought after long investigations by career prosecutors and independent counsel.
—
Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2026
The nuns then took it upon themselves to make arrangements for the illegitimate child.
—Literary Hub, 8 May 2026
The credit bureaus have said that many recent complaints are illegitimate, including a large volume filed by third-party credit repair organizations that charge customers to challenge negative information on their reports.
—Joel Jacobs, ProPublica, 4 May 2026
All of that is deeply illegitimate.
—NBC news, 3 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for illegitimate
Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2026
The nuns then took it upon themselves to make arrangements for the illegitimate child.
—Literary Hub, 8 May 2026
The credit bureaus have said that many recent complaints are illegitimate, including a large volume filed by third-party credit repair organizations that charge customers to challenge negative information on their reports.
—Joel Jacobs, ProPublica, 4 May 2026
All of that is deeply illegitimate.
—NBC news, 3 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for illegitimate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for illegitimate
Adjective
-
Now that same leader can be felled by an Instagram pile-on or a spurious Substack rumor, and is likelier to shy from the long, slow, gritty work of governance.—
Nathan Heller,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
-
Though the top judge later clarified that his remarks related only to individuals with spurious degrees and not India’s youth in general, the remarks kicked up a social media storm—which fueled thousands of sign-ups on CJP’s website, taking even Dipke by surprise.—
Britannica Editors,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
23 May 2026
Adjective
-
Louisville police say anything that goes into the air or explodes is illegal for average citizens.—
James Bruggers,
The Courier-Journal,
5 July 2017
-
Official fireworks shows took place over the city, and illegal pyrotechnics lit up the sky everywhere in between.—
Lisa Beebe,
Los Angeles Magazine,
5 July 2017
Adjective
-
Those fears are not unreasonable, either, given the ability of AI to do so many things so well.—
John Werner,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
-
Horn’s assessment wasn’t unreasonable; it was based on recent statements by Greenlandic politicians.—
Ben Taub,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
Adjective
-
At next week’s meeting, Kevin Warsh must vigorously attack this misbegotten idea, the Phillips Curve.—
Steve Forbes,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
-
Perfection is inhuman, and pretensions to it are both doomed and misbegotten.—
Elizabeth Bruenig,
The Atlantic,
27 May 2026
Adjective
-
The filing, submitted in the San Diego County Superior Court, seeks a judge’s order to condemn and destroy the embargoed kratom products, halt ongoing unlawful manufacturing and impose civil penalties.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
-
Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote in the court's opinion that unlawful drug use alone cannot be grounds to seek to send someone to prison and potentially force them to give up firearms for life.—
Devin Dwyer,
ABC News,
18 June 2026
Adjective
-
Economist Hyman Minsky spent his career explaining how irrational behavior produces fragility and instability in capitalist systems.—
Hersh Shefrin,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2026
-
McClanahan has been close enough to his usual production, but without an irrational need for perfection.—
Tyler Kepner,
New York Times,
21 June 2026
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
Adjective
-
The schemes involve a predator pretending to be a teenager online and tricking victims into sending illicit photos of themselves.—
Sarah N. Lynch,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
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Beyond the more familiar terrain of diabetics, IVF patients, people using hormone therapy, and intravenous users of illicit drugs, people have been turning themselves into lab rats for new wellness frontiers.—
Matthew Sedacca,
Curbed,
16 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Illegitimate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illegitimate. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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