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
After a whole season exploring the pains of being an illegitimate child and fears of pregnancy, Sophie and Benedict are now free to have children that would be welcomed warmly into society.
—
Jennifer Maas, Variety, 27 Feb. 2026
The most recent season featured Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) falling for maid and illegitimate child of nobility Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha) over the course of eight very Cinderella-esque episodes.
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 27 Feb. 2026
But the salesperson also has to be protected against illegitimate complaints or unwarranted approaches outside of normal channels.
—Judith Martin, Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2026
Neither starts the series out with much in the way of prospects, with Jon the illegitimate, unacknowledged son of a Lord and Sansa relegated to the status of servant after her father is executed before her very eyes.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for illegitimate
Jennifer Maas, Variety, 27 Feb. 2026
The most recent season featured Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) falling for maid and illegitimate child of nobility Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha) over the course of eight very Cinderella-esque episodes.
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 27 Feb. 2026
But the salesperson also has to be protected against illegitimate complaints or unwarranted approaches outside of normal channels.
—Judith Martin, Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2026
Neither starts the series out with much in the way of prospects, with Jon the illegitimate, unacknowledged son of a Lord and Sansa relegated to the status of servant after her father is executed before her very eyes.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for illegitimate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for illegitimate
Adjective
-
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
-
This is spurious and completely unfounded.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 Feb. 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
-
Pittman said the defense would not be able to show based on the evidence that Gross’ actions before he was shot were unreasonable.—
Emerson Clarridge
Updated March 5,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Breuer listed two city inspectors by name, accusing them of providing unreasonable timelines, intentionally ignoring information provided by Berrada and its right to the appeal, and for entering the property and interfering with repair work.—
Drake Bentley,
jsonline.com,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
Into this narrow social wedge was born a boy, child of a passionate but misbegotten moment.—
Gail Sheehy,
Vanity Fair,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Peters became a figure whose actions were not just unlawful but emblematic of broader threats to democratic norms.—
Doug Friednash,
Denver Post,
6 Mar. 2026
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By sanctioning an unlawful deal, the government has created a legal impediment to petitioners' financial recovery.—
Scott MacFarlane,
CBS News,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
So was Odysseus’s response considered irrational and over-the-top to ancient Greeks?—
Nina Metz,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Those models lack sound scientific basis and produce irrational results, such as requiring that nuclear plants protect against radiation below naturally occurring levels.—
Teri Sforza,
Oc Register,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Officials say another North Korean national, Yun Song Guk, oversaw a group of freelance IT workers operating out of Boten, Laos to coordinate illicit payments and contracts for services linked to foreign partners.—
Nicole Sganga,
CBS News,
12 Mar. 2026
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The exchange has defended its approach to any illicit transactions on its platform and argued that its compliance program worked as designed.—
Leo Schwartz,
Fortune,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
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 13 Mar. 2026.
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