LEGITIMATE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does legitimate mean? 

• LEGITIMATE (adjective)
  The adjective LEGITIMATE has 4 senses:

1. of marriages and offspring; recognized as lawful

2. based on known statements or events or conditions

3. in accordance with recognized or accepted standards or principles

4. authorized, sanctioned by, or in accordance with law

  Familiarity information: LEGITIMATE used as an adjective is uncommon.

• LEGITIMATE (verb)
  The verb LEGITIMATE has 3 senses:

1. make legal

2. show or affirm to be just and legitimate

3. make (an illegitimate child) legitimate; declare the legitimacy of (someone)

  Familiarity information: LEGITIMATE used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• LEGITIMATE (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Of marriages and offspring; recognized as lawful

Similar:

lawfully-begotten (born in wedlock; enjoying full filial rights)

left-handed; morganatic ((of marriages) of a marriage between one of royal or noble birth and one of lower rank; valid but with the understanding that the rank of the inferior remains unchanged and offspring do not succeed to titles or property of the superior)

lawful; rightful; true (having a legally established claim)

Also:

authorised; authorized (endowed with authority)

legal (established by or founded upon law or official or accepted rules)

valid (well grounded in logic or truth or having legal force)

Antonym:

illegitimate (of marriages and offspring; not recognized as lawful)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Based on known statements or events or conditions

Synonyms:

legitimate; logical

Context example:

rain was a logical expectation, given the time of year

Similar:

valid (well grounded in logic or truth or having legal force)

Sense 3

Meaning:

In accordance with recognized or accepted standards or principles

Context example:

legitimate advertising practices

Similar:

constituted; established (brought about or set up or accepted; especially long established)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Authorized, sanctioned by, or in accordance with law

Synonyms:

lawful; legitimate; licit

Context example:

a legitimate government

Similar:

legal (established by or founded upon law or official or accepted rules)

• LEGITIMATE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they legitimate    ... he / she / it legitimates   
Past simple: legitimated   
Past participle: legitimated   
-ing form: legitimating   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Make legal

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

decriminalise; decriminalize; legalise; legalize; legitimate; legitimatise; legitimatize; legitimise; legitimize

Context example:

Marijuana should be legalized

Hypernyms (to "legitimate" is one way to...):

allow; countenance; let; permit (consent to, give permission)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "legitimate"):

monetise; monetize (give legal value to or establish as the legal tender of a country)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

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

legitimation (the act of making lawful)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Show or affirm to be just and legitimate

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "legitimate" is one way to...):

justify; vindicate (show to be right by providing justification or proof)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

legitimation (the act of making lawful)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Make (an illegitimate child) legitimate; declare the legitimacy of (someone)

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Context example:

They legitimized their natural child

Hypernyms (to "legitimate" is one way to...):

alter; change; modify (cause to change; make different; cause a transformation)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

legitimation (the act of rendering a person legitimate)

 Context examples 

It is evident to me that Australia is the legitimate sphere of action for Mr. Micawber!

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

Or it may be that a creative project will bring overages, and you may have difficulties getting the client to cover the legitimate extra costs.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

Now, Watson, I won’t detain you from your legitimate work any longer.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

They looked upon him as legitimate prey, and as legitimate prey he looked upon them.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

Tens of millions of malicious request sources were observed, interfering with legitimate Dyn traffic.

(Distributed malware attacks Dyn DNS, takes down websites in US, Wikinews)

For you, drug safety means buying online from only legitimate pharmacies and taking your medicines correctly.

(Drug Safety, NIH)

He had not flown far, however, when he came across a dog who, having met the sausage, had regarded him as his legitimate booty, and so seized and swallowed him.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

I am not sure that in defence of your own life your action will not be pronounced legitimate.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

As if loveliness were not the special prerogative of woman—her legitimate appanage and heritage!

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

You accept as perfectly legitimate the author's account of the secret thoughts of the heroine, and yet all the time you know that the heroine was alone when thinking these thoughts, and that neither the author nor any one else was capable of hearing them.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)