le·git·i·mate (l -j t -mt)adj.1. Being in compliance with the law; lawful: a legitimate business. 2. Being in accordance with established or accepted patterns and standards: legitimate advertising practices. 3. Based on logical reasoning; reasonable: a legitimate solution to the problem. 4. Authentic; genuine: a legitimate complaint. 5. Born of legally married parents: legitimate issue. 6. Of, relating to, or ruling by hereditary right: a legitimate monarch. 7. Of or relating to drama of high professional quality that excludes burlesque, vaudeville, and some forms of musical comedy: the legitimate theater. tr.v. (-m t ) le·git·i·mat·ed, le·git·i·mat·ing, le·git·i·mates To make legitimate, as: a. To give legal force or status to; make lawful. b. To establish (a child born out of wedlock) as legitimate by legal means. c. To sanction formally or officially; authorize. d. To demonstrate or declare to be justified.
[Middle English legitimat, born in wedlock, from Medieval Latin l gitimtus, law-worthy, past participle of lgitimre, to make lawful, from Latin lgitimus, legitimate, from lx, lg-, law; see leg- in Indo-European roots.]
le·giti·mate·ly adv. le·giti·mate·ness n. le·giti·mation n. |
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. | legitimation - the act of rendering a person legitimate; "he has filial rights because he obtained letters of legitimation from the king"; "his parents' subsequent marriage resulted in his legitimation"law, jurisprudence - the collection of rules imposed by authority; "civilization presupposes respect for the law"; "the great problem for jurisprudence to allow freedom while enforcing order" |
| 2. | legitimation - the act of making lawfullaw, jurisprudence - the collection of rules imposed by authority; "civilization presupposes respect for the law"; "the great problem for jurisprudence to allow freedom while enforcing order" |
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Legitimation