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
Relevance
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
The show followed the destitute Cuylers — father Early, his illegitimate son Rusty, his meth-loving sister Lily, and his crabby grandmother Granny — and their various moneymaking high jinks.
—
Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2026
But then a mysterious Romany woman (Rebecca Ferguson) turns up, and persuades him to return to Birmingham, in order to bring his violent illegitimate son (Barry Keoghan) – who now runs his Peaky Blinders mob – to heel.
—The Week Uk, TheWeek, 12 Mar. 2026
In a July public comment letter, Experian argued it should not be required to respond to individual CFPB complaints and that the vast majority of those filed recently are illegitimate.
—Joel Jacobs, CNN Money, 11 Mar. 2026
In a July public comment letter, Experian argued it should not be required to respond to individual CFPB complaints and that the vast majority of those filed recently are illegitimate.
—Joel Jacobs, ProPublica, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for illegitimate
Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2026
But then a mysterious Romany woman (Rebecca Ferguson) turns up, and persuades him to return to Birmingham, in order to bring his violent illegitimate son (Barry Keoghan) – who now runs his Peaky Blinders mob – to heel.
—The Week Uk, TheWeek, 12 Mar. 2026
In a July public comment letter, Experian argued it should not be required to respond to individual CFPB complaints and that the vast majority of those filed recently are illegitimate.
—Joel Jacobs, CNN Money, 11 Mar. 2026
In a July public comment letter, Experian argued it should not be required to respond to individual CFPB complaints and that the vast majority of those filed recently are illegitimate.
—Joel Jacobs, ProPublica, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for illegitimate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for illegitimate
Adjective
-
Suu Kyi, Myanmar’s 80-year-old former leader, is serving a 27-year prison term on charges widely viewed as spurious and politically motivated.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 Apr. 2026
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Using that spurious justification, ICE agents have detained, assaulted, and even — in the case of Minneapolis ICU nurse Alex Pretti — killed people for recording.—
Andrew Case,
New York Daily News,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Louisville police say anything that goes into the air or explodes is illegal for average citizens.—
James Bruggers,
The Courier-Journal,
5 July 2017
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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
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Indeed, because deportation is not considered a criminal matter, the constitutional provisions protecting those accused and convicted of crimes do not apply, including prohibiting unreasonable searches and seizures, providing a lawyer and requiring a jury trial.—
Erwin Chemerinsky,
Twin Cities,
8 Apr. 2026
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That has prompted constitutional concerns around the Fourth Amendment, which prevents unreasonable search and seizure.—
Lisa Hagen,
Hartford Courant,
7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Then there was the misbegotten, no-bid $140 million contract for medical services between the state Department of Corrections and UConn Health.—
Kevin Rennie,
Hartford Courant,
28 Feb. 2026
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Into this narrow social wedge was born a boy, child of a passionate but misbegotten moment.—
Gail Sheehy,
Vanity Fair,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Under Texas law, a contract signed under duress is generally voidable if it was obtained through an improper or unlawful threat that overrode the signer’s free will.—
Chase Rogers,
Dallas Morning News,
10 Apr. 2026
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Violating that trust is both cruel and unlawful.—
DeJanay Booth-Singleton,
CBS News,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Devereaux receives a hero’s welcome back home, but his irrational and violent behavior threatens his new livelihood, as does the knowledge of his cowardice held by Capt.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Apr. 2026
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With the automation of more health billing decisions, irrational results have become increasingly common.—
Elisabeth Rosenthal,
Miami Herald,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Together, experts paint a picture of a sector where formal investment risks intersecting with criminal governance, armed violence and illicit supply chains.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
9 Apr. 2026
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This aroused suspicion and eventually led to searches of Kamnik’s phone, computer, and external hard drive, which revealed a massive trove of illicit material.—
Nate Anderson,
ArsTechnica,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Bainbridge knew about secrets and unreasoning shame.—
Christopher Tayler,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
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Let sound political prescience but take the place of an unreasoning prejudice, and this will be done.—
Frederick Douglass,
The Atlantic,
16 Aug. 2017
Cite this Entry
“Illegitimate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illegitimate. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
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