I. “+ adjective
Etymology: in- (I) + legitimate
1.
a. : not recognized by law as lawful offspring : bastard ; usually : born of parents not married to each other
b. : conceived in fornication or adultery
2. : not rightly deduced or inferred : illogical
an illegitimate inference
an illegitimate supposition
3. : departing in some way from the regular or expected : irregular , erratic
illegitimate unions between broken chromosomes — Encyc. Britannica
illegitimate pollination
4.
a. : contrary to or violating a law or regulation : illegal : not sanctioned by law : unwarranted
an illegitimate seizure of power
an illegitimate government
b. : not authorized by good usage : not widely accepted : not reputable
an illegitimate phrase
c. of a taxon : published either validly or invalidly but not according with the rules of the relevant international code
• il·legitimately “+ adverb
II. “+ transitive verb
: to make or declare or prove to be illegitimate : bastardize
testimony that would certainly illegitimate her older son
III. like illegitimate I noun
( -s )
: a person that is in some way illegitimate or that is regarded as illegitimate ; especially : bastard