Lexic.us

Definition of Legitimate

1. Adjective. Of marriages and offspring; recognized as lawful.

2. Verb. Make legal. "Marijuana should be legalized"

3. Adjective. Based on known statements or events or conditions. "Rain was a logical expectation, given the time of year"

4. Verb. Show or affirm to be just and legitimate.

5. Adjective. In accordance with recognized or accepted standards or principles. "Legitimate advertising practices"

6. Verb. Make (an illegitimate child) legitimate; declare the legitimacy of (someone). "They legitimized their natural child"

7. Adjective. Authorized, sanctioned by, or in accordance with law. "A legitimate government"

Definition of Legitimate

1. a. 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. v. t. 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.

Definition of Legitimate

1. Adjective. In accordance with the law or established legal forms and requirements; lawful. ¹

2. Adjective. Conforming to known principles, or established or accepted rules or standards; valid. ¹

3. Adjective. Authentic, real, genuine. ¹

4. Adjective. Lawfully begotten, i.e., born to a legally married couple. ¹

5. Adjective. Relating to hereditary rights. ¹

6. 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. ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Legitimate

1. [v -MATED, -MATING, -MATES]

Lexicographical Neighbors of Legitimate

legislators legislatorship legislatorships legislatour legislatress legislatresses legislatrix legislature legislatures legist

legists legit legitim legitimacies legitimacy legitimate (current term) legitimated legitimately legitimateness legitimates

legitimating legitimation legitimations legitimatise legitimatist legitimatists legitimatization legitimatize legitimatized legitimatizes

Literary usage of Legitimate

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. Commentaries on the Laws of England by William Blackstone, William Carey Jones (1915)
"Children are of two sorts; legitimate and spurious, or bastards:1 each of which we ... legitimate children.—A legitimate child is he that is born in lawful ..."

2. United States Supreme Court Reports by Lawyers Co-operative Publishing Company, United States Supreme Court (1912)
"Two children were the result of the intercourse between them—one born before and the other after marriage—the latter the legitimate heir of the father, ..."

3. Commentaries on American Law by James Kent, Charles M. Barnes (1884)
"When the English bishops, in the reign of Henry III., petitioned the lords that they would consent that persons born before matrimony should be legitimate, ..."

4. International Law: A Treatise by Lassa Oppenheim (1921)
"Further, conquered territory can, in consequence of a treaty of peace, be restored to its legitimate sovereign. In all such cases, the question has to be ..."

5. Reports of Cases Argued and Determined in the High Court of Chancery: During by Great Britain Court of Chancery, Edward Thurlow Thurlow, Alexander Wedderburn Rosslyn, Jonathan Cogswell Perkins (1845)
"Distinction between legitimate and illegitimate child, as to the presumption against double portions, favorable to the latter (c), [p. 412. ..."

6. Bulletin by Federal Board for Vocational Education, United States (1917)
"Is selection and placement of teachers a legitimate part of the expenditure for maintenance of teacher-training? Answer. Yes; but its cost must not be in ..."

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