legitimate

Meaning

Adj

1. In accordance with the law or established legal forms and requirements.
2. Conforming to known principles, or established or accepted rules or standards; valid.
3. Authentic, real, genuine.
4. Marital.
5. Marital.
6. Relating to hereditary rights.
7. Belonging or relating to the legitimate theater.

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.

Opposite of

illegitimate, false

Synonyms

legal

lawful

licit

true

proper

valid

just

rightful

legalize

fair

real

orthodox

right

legitimatize

logical

genuine

justifiable

correct

legalise

legitimatise

legitimise

legitimize

justify

handsome

loyal

equitable

decriminalise

acceptable

imposing

prominent

due

reasonable

regular

fine

sound

🔉

splendid

justified

admissible

decriminalize

elegant

good

👍

sanctioned

skillful

stark

titular

traditional

validate

veritable

adequate to

low-abiding

Translations

legittimo

légitime

legítimo

νόμιμος

legítimo

legítim

legitim

legittimare

legitimieren

légal

rechtmäßig

légaliser

legale

legal

Pronounced as (IPA)

/lɪˈd͡ʒɪt.ɪ.mət/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: legitimat

In summary

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)).