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
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Recent Examples of illegitimate
Rubio insisted in interviews that Washington will use control of Venezuela’s oil industry to force policy changes, and called the government currently in place illegitimate.
—
Regina Garcia Cano, Fortune, 4 Jan. 2026
His 2025 re-election was dismissed by many foreign governments as illegitimate amid ongoing political turmoil and competing claims to leadership.
—Dante Motley, Austin American Statesman, 4 Jan. 2026
The capture of the brutal, illegitimate ruler of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, who oppressed Venezuela's people is welcome news for my friends and neighbors who fled his violent, lawless, and disastrous rule.
—Cbs Miami Team, CBS News, 3 Jan. 2026
His 2018 and 2024 elections were seen as riddled with irregularities and viewed as illegitimate.
—Aamer Madhani, Chicago Tribune, 3 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for illegitimate
Regina Garcia Cano, Fortune, 4 Jan. 2026
His 2025 re-election was dismissed by many foreign governments as illegitimate amid ongoing political turmoil and competing claims to leadership.
—Dante Motley, Austin American Statesman, 4 Jan. 2026
The capture of the brutal, illegitimate ruler of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, who oppressed Venezuela's people is welcome news for my friends and neighbors who fled his violent, lawless, and disastrous rule.
—Cbs Miami Team, CBS News, 3 Jan. 2026
His 2018 and 2024 elections were seen as riddled with irregularities and viewed as illegitimate.
—Aamer Madhani, Chicago Tribune, 3 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for illegitimate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for illegitimate
Adjective
-
Many politicians and government employees learned from The Times that they had been targeted with spurious filings.—
Melody Gutierrez,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Soon papers were published with claims of galaxies at redshifts of 10, 11 and even higher—and while many of those preliminary measurements wound up being spurious, several were ultimately confirmed out to redshifts greater than 14.—
Phil Plait,
Scientific American,
25 Dec. 2025
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
-
Importantly, the president already has full legal authority to impose tariffs when other nations’ behavior places an unreasonable burden on our economy, including through environmental negligence.—
Chip Lamarca,
Sun Sentinel,
6 Jan. 2026
-
The logic was that Spirit had projected the league would grow at a rate that the league itself found unreasonable, and so would not be able to field a team while also paying Rodman.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
4 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Cooper starred in Crowe’s Aloha, one of the director’s later and more misbegotten films.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Every year, the Globes’ most misbegotten category gets more hilarious.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
8 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
None, however, elaborated on what orders were considered unlawful.—
Washington Examiner Staff,
The Washington Examiner,
14 Jan. 2026
-
The California Coastal Commission has issued multiple cease-and-desist orders to Sable Offshore for allegedly conducting unlawful repair work.—
Molly McCrea,
CBS News,
13 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Cramer warned that these moments can feel chaotic — even irrational — but are often driven by valuation extremes finally snapping back toward equilibrium.—
Luke Fountain,
CNBC,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Often, these unjustifiable fears arise simply because people draw irrational conclusions from rational concerns.—
Jody Mamone,
Hartford Courant,
2 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Drug-trafficking networks with links to transnational cartels are active along Ecuador’s coast and have used fishermen and their small boats to transport illicit shipments, according to local police.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
12 Jan. 2026
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On the DeFi front, crypto advocates are fighting to ensure developers do not face prosecution when their technology is used for illicit activities like money laundering.—
Liz Napolitano,
CNBC,
11 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
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 Jan. 2026.
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