Definition of 'legitimate'
1. adjective
Something that is legitimate is acceptable according to the law.
2. adjective
If you say that something such as a feeling or claim is legitimate, you think that it is reasonable and justified.
legitimacy uncountable noun
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
British English pronunciation
American English pronunciation
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Word Frequency
legitimate in American English
adjective
1.
conceived or born of parents legally married to each other
5.
conforming to or in accordance with established rules, standards, principles
6. Theatre
designating or of professionally produced stage plays, as distinguished from films, vaudeville, etc.
verb transitiveWord forms: leˈgitiˌmated or leˈgitiˌmating
SIMILAR WORDS: ˈlegal
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Derived forms
legitimately (leˈgitimately)
adverb
legitimation (leˌgitiˈmation)
noun
Word Frequency
legitimate in American English
( adjective & noun lɪˈdʒɪtəmɪt, verb lɪˈdʒɪtəˌmeit) (verb -mated, -mating)
adjective
1.
according to law; lawful
the property's legitimate owner
2.
in accordance with established rules, principles, or standards
3.
born in wedlock or of legally married parents
legitimate children
8. Theater
of or pertaining to professionally produced stage plays, as distinguished from burlesque, vaudeville, television, motion pictures, etc
an actor in the legitimate theater
transitive verb
SYNONYMS 1. legal, licit. 2. sanctioned. 4. valid. 9. legalize.ANTONYMS 1. illegitimate.9.
to make lawful or legal; pronounce or state as lawful
Parliament legitimated his accession to the throne
10.
to establish as lawfully born
His bastard children were afterward legitimated by law
11.
He was under obligation to legitimate his commission
12.
to justify; sanction or authorize
His behavior was legitimated by custom
Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019
by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Derived forms
legitimately adverb
legitimateness
noun
legitimation
noun
Word Frequency
legitimate in British English
adjective (lɪˈdʒɪtɪmɪt
)
2.
3.
5.
7.
of or relating to a body of famous long-established plays as distinct from films, television, vaudeville, etc
the legitimate theatre
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Derived forms
legitimacy (leˈgitimacy) or legitimateness (leˈgitimateness) noun
legitimately (leˈgitimately)
adverb
legitimation (leˌgitiˈmation)
noun
Word origin
C15: from Medieval Latin lēgitimātus made legal, from lēx law
Examples of 'legitimate' in a sentence
legitimate
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In other languages
legitimate
British English: legitimate
ADJECTIVE /lɪˈdʒɪtəmət/
Something that is legitimate is acceptable according to the law.
They have condemned the coup and demanded the restoration of the legitimate government.
- American English: legitimate /lɪdˈʒɪtɪmɪt/
- Brazilian Portuguese: legítimo
- Chinese: 合法的
- European Spanish: legítimo
- French: légitime
- German: rechtmäßig
- Italian: legittimo
- Japanese: 合法の
- Korean: 합법적인
- European Portuguese: legítimo
- Spanish: legítimo
- Thai: ที่ถูกต้องตามกฎหมาย, ที่ชอบด้วยกฎหมาย
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Definition of legitimate from the Collins English Dictionary
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