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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of illegitimate
Dumas’ injunction states that any decisions made in meetings with Weatherington claiming the chair seat are illegitimate.
—
Raisa Habersham, Miami Herald, 8 Sep. 2025
Putin asked, reiterating a common Russian argument that their country sees the Ukrainian leader as illegitimate.
—Tara Suter, The Hill, 4 Sep. 2025
What the rest of the MacKenzies don’t know, however, is that Ellen, in the midst of her grief, has fallen head over heels for Brian, the illegitimate son of the despicable Lord Lovat (Tony Curran) and a member of a rival clan.
—Max Gao, HollywoodReporter, 29 Aug. 2025
Sovereign citizens believe the government is illegitimate.
—Reuters, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for illegitimate
Raisa Habersham, Miami Herald, 8 Sep. 2025
Putin asked, reiterating a common Russian argument that their country sees the Ukrainian leader as illegitimate.
—Tara Suter, The Hill, 4 Sep. 2025
What the rest of the MacKenzies don’t know, however, is that Ellen, in the midst of her grief, has fallen head over heels for Brian, the illegitimate son of the despicable Lord Lovat (Tony Curran) and a member of a rival clan.
—Max Gao, HollywoodReporter, 29 Aug. 2025
Sovereign citizens believe the government is illegitimate.
—Reuters, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for illegitimate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for illegitimate
Adjective
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The most negative and spurious viral videos are the ones that are leading to the most views for advertisers.—
John Brandon,
Forbes.com,
11 Aug. 2025
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While all these claims were eventually discredited, Setlow said many other spurious findings have been published in respected scientific journals.—
F.D. Flam,
Twin Cities,
6 Aug. 2025
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
-
Russia is trying to paint Ukraine as the unreasonable party in negotiations, Ferris said.—
Lauren Kent,
CNN Money,
12 Sep. 2025
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Darryl Morin, national president of Forward Latino, a Latino advocacy group based in Franklin, Wisconsin, said the decision erodes Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable search and seizure.—
Francesca Pica,
jsonline.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Because the Sunbeam Alpine and Tiger are essentially identical, save for their engines and some unibody sheet metal beneath the exterior body panels, there exist many misbegotten conversions as well as some quite deceptive clones.—
Robert Ross,
Robb Report,
22 Aug. 2025
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Scenes stretch on too long, Lynette’s misbegotten plans play out in predictable fashion, and even a handful of genuinely thrilling action sequences (like Lynette’s escape from that grimy garage, told through an eye-popping oner) can’t quite keep things ticking along.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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In November, jurors convicted Martinez of unlawful compensation and a related conspiracy charge.—
Douglas Hanks,
Miami Herald,
15 Sep. 2025
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The world’s highest court, the International Court of Justice, has ruled that there is a plausible risk of genocide in Gaza, and that Israel’s occupation and apartheid against Palestinians are unlawful.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Losing Fed independence is like giving free rein to emotional, irrational decision making.—
Hersh Shefrin,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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Maura’s performance makes Maria Angeles so magnetic and eccentric — earthily practical on some matters, dizzily irrational on others, and sympathetically true to herself on all fronts — that all the film’s other players want for detail and texture by comparison.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Whelchel pointed to a series of text exchanges between Alam and his friends that appeared to paint Alam as a frequent user of illicit drugs like mushrooms and extacy.—
Harrison Mantas,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 Sep. 2025
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North was convicted in 1989 on three felony charges for helping to arrange the illicit sale of weapons to Iran and divert the proceeds to fund a secret war against anti-communist Contra rebels in Nicaragua.—
Josh Meyer,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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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 18 Sep. 2025.
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