Definitions for: Legitimate


[adj] authorized, sanctioned by, or in accordance with law; "a legitimate government"
[adj] of marriages and offspring; recognized as lawful
[adj] in accordance with recognized or accepted standards or principles; "legitimate advertising practices"
[adj] in accordance with reason or logic; "a logical conclusion"
[v] make (an illegitimate child) legitimate; declare the legitimacy of (someone); "They legitimized their natural child"
[v] show or affirm to be just and legitimate
[v] make legal; "Marijuana should be legalized"



Webster (1913) Definition: Le*git"i*mate (-m[asl]t), a. [LL. legitimatus, p.
p. of legitimare to legitimate, fr. L. legitimus legitimate.
See Legal.]
1. Accordant with law or with established legal forms and
requirements; lawful; as, legitimate government;
legitimate rights; the legitimate succession to the
throne; a legitimate proceeding of an officer; a
legitimate heir.

2. Lawfully begotten; born in wedlock.

3. Authorized; real; genuine; not false, counterfeit, or
spurious; as, legitimate poems of Chaucer; legitimate
inscriptions.

4. Conforming to known principles, or accepted rules; as,
legitimate reasoning; a legitimate standard, or method; a
legitimate combination of colors.

Tillotson still keeps his place as a legitimate
English classic. --Macaulay.

5. Following by logical sequence; reasonable; as, a
legitimate result; a legitimate inference.


Le*git"i*mate (-m[=a]t), v. t. [imp. & p. p.
Legitimated (-m[=a]`t[e^]d); p. pr. & vb. n. Legitimating
(-m[=a]`t[i^]ng).]
To make legitimate, lawful, or valid; esp., to put in the
position or state of a legitimate person before the law, by
legal means; as, to legitimate a bastard child.

To enact a statute of that which he dares not seem to
approve, even to legitimate vice. --Milton.

Synonyms: constituted, decriminalise, decriminalize, established, lawful, lawfully-begotten, left-handed, legal, legalise, legalize, legitimatise, legitimatize, legitimise, legitimize, licit, logical, morganatic, rightful(a), true(a)

Antonyms: criminalise, criminalize, illegalise, illegalize, illegitimate, outlaw

See Also: allow, alter, authorised, authorized, change, countenance, justify, let, monetise, monetize, permit, valid, vindicate

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