ILLEGITIMACY

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does illegitimacy mean? 

• ILLEGITIMACY (noun)
  The noun ILLEGITIMACY has 2 senses:

1. the status of being born to parents who were not married

2. unlawfulness by virtue of not being authorized by or in accordance with law

  Familiarity information: ILLEGITIMACY used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ILLEGITIMACY (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The status of being born to parents who were not married

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

bar sinister; bastardy; illegitimacy

Hypernyms ("illegitimacy" is a kind of...):

position; status (the relative position or standing of things or especially persons in a society)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Unlawfulness by virtue of not being authorized by or in accordance with law

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Hypernyms ("illegitimacy" is a kind of...):

unlawfulness (the quality of failing to conform to law)

Antonym:

legitimacy (lawfulness by virtue of being authorized or in accordance with law)

 Context examples 

The stain of illegitimacy, unbleached by nobility or wealth, would have been a stain indeed.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

A degradation to illegitimacy and ignorance, to be married to a respectable, intelligent gentleman-farmer!

(Emma, by Jane Austen)