legitimate

adjectivenounverbcommon in dialogue

//lɪˈd͡ʒɪt.ɪ.mət//
//ləˈd͡ʒɪt.ɪ.mət//
//lɪˈd͡ʒɪt.ɪ.meɪt//
//ləˈd͡ʒɪt.ɪ.meɪt//

In accordance with the law or established legal forms and requirements.

adjective

1
In accordance with the law or established legal forms and requirements.
Rodwell was sent off by referee Martin Atkinson - who has shown 15 red cards since the start of last season - after 23 minutes for what appeared to be a legitimate challenge on Suarez.
2
Conforming to known principles, or established or accepted rules or standards; valid.
legitimate reasoning; a legitimate standard or method
Tillotson still keeps his place as a legitimate English classic.
3
Authentic, real, genuine.
legitimate poems of Chaucer; legitimate inscriptions
The truth is, when we fail to protect legitimate rights of others and continue to expand the net of lies and defamation, every one would become victims one day including ourselves.
4
Marital. Lawfully begotten, i.e. born to a married couple or later legitimated.
5
Marital. Legally married.
Besides his four legitimate wives, the caliph had dozens of concubines.
6
Relating to hereditary rights.
7
Belonging or relating to the legitimate theater.

Etymology

From Middle English legitimat, legytymat, from Medieval Latin lēgitimātus, perfect passive participle of Latin lēgitimō (“to make legal”) (see -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from Latin lēgitimus (“lawful”), originally "fixed by law, in line with the law," from Latin lēx (“law”). Originally "lawfully begotten". The noun was derived from the adjective within English or earlier by substantivization (see -ate (noun-forming suffix)), the verb from the adjective by conversion (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)).

noun

1
A person born to a legally married couple.
But should a “holy alliance of legitimates” extinguish it, it will be but for a season.
This extraordinarily mixed family of legitimates and illegitimates seems to have maintained a certain kind of harmony.
His overweening pride received another shock through his new friends the legitimates.

verb

1
To make legitimate, lawful, or valid; especially, to put in the position or state of a legitimate person before the law, by legal means.

Forms

plural: legitimates
comparative: more legitimate
superlative: most legitimate
past tense: legitimated
past participle: legitimated
present participle: legitimating
third person singular: legitimates

legion · Numerous; vast; very great in number.legislation · The act of legislating; preparation and enactment of laws.legit · A legitimate; a legitimate actor.

legitimate · In accordance with the law or established legal forms and requirements.

legs · Eleven.lei · A garland of flowers in Hawaii.Lei · A surname from Chinese.

The neighbouring pages — Alphabetical order follows the rules of the language, not byte values: an accent decides only between two otherwise identical words, and Spanish files Ñ as a letter of its own.