I. li-ˈji-tə-mət adjective
Etymology: Middle English legitimat, from Medieval Latin legitimatus, past participle of legitimare to legitimate, from Latin legitimus legitimate, from leg-, lex law
Date: 15th century
1.
a. : lawfully begotten ; specifically : born in wedlock
b. : having full filial rights and obligations by birth
a legitimate child
2. : being exactly as purposed : neither spurious nor false
a legitimate grievance
a legitimate practitioner
3.
a. : accordant with law or with established legal forms and requirements
a legitimate government
b. : ruling by or based on the strict principle of hereditary right
a legitimate king
4. : conforming to recognized principles or accepted rules and standards
a legitimate advertising expenditure
a legitimate inference
5. : relating to plays acted by professional actors but not including revues, burlesque, or some forms of musical comedy
the legitimate theater
Synonyms: see lawful
• le·git·i·mate·ly adverb
II. -ˌmāt transitive verb
( -mat·ed ; -mat·ing )
Date: 1531
: to make legitimate:
a.
(1) : to give legal status or authorization to
(2) : to show or affirm to be justified
(3) : to lend authority or respectability to
b. : to put (a bastard) in the state of a legitimate child before the law by legal means
• le·git·i·ma·tion -ˌji-tə-ˈmā-shən noun
• le·git·i·mat·or -ˈji-tə-ˌmā-tər noun