LEGITIMATE

I. adjective Etymology: Middle English legitimat, from Medieval Latin legitimatus, past participle of legitimare to ~, from Latin legitimus ~, from leg-, lex law Date: 15th century 1. lawfully begotten, having full filial rights and obligations by birth , being exactly as purposed ; neither spurious nor false , 3. accordant with law or with established legal forms and requirements , ruling by or based on the strict principle of hereditary right , conforming to recognized principles or accepted rules and standards , relating to plays acted by professional actors but not including revues, burlesque, or some forms of musical comedy , see: lawful ~ly adverb II. transitive verb (-mated; -mating) Date: 1531 to make ~:, a. to give legal status or authorization to, to show or affirm to be justified, to lend authority or respectability to, to put (a bastard) in the state of a ~ child before the law by legal means, legitimation noun legitimator noun