legitimate

Meanings

Adjective

• In accordance with the law or established legal forms and requirements.
• Conforming to known principles, or established or accepted rules or standards; valid.
• Authentic, real, genuine.
• Lawfully begotten, i.e., born to a legally married couple.
• Relating to hereditary rights.

Noun

• A person born to a legally married couple.

Verb

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

Related

Similar words

• legitimize

Opposite words

• bastard
• illegitimate

Origin

• From Middle English legitimat, legytymat, from Medieval Latin lēgitimatus, perfect passive participle of Latin lēgitimō ("make legal"), from Latin lēgitimus ("lawful"), originally "fixed by law, in line with the law," from Latin lēx ("law"). Originally "lawfully begotten".
• The verb was derived from the adjective by conversion.