legitimate
Language: English
Part of speech: adj
Pronunciation: ipa: /lɪˈd͡ʒɪt.ɪ.mət/
ipa: /ləˈd͡ʒɪt.ɪ.mət/
ipa: /lɪˈd͡ʒɪt.ɪ.meɪt/
ipa: /ləˈd͡ʒɪt.ɪ.meɪt/
Forms: form: more legitimate
form: most legitimate
Etymology: From Middle English legitimat, legytymat, from Medieval Latin lēgitimātus, perfect passive participle of Latin lēgitimō (“to make legal”) (see -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from Latin lēgitimus (“lawful”), originally "fixed by law, in line with the law," from Latin lēx (“law”). Originally "lawfully begotten".
The noun was derived from the adjective within English or earlier by substantivization (see -ate (noun-forming suffix)), the verb from the adjective by conversion (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)).
Senses: examples: text: Rodwell was sent off by referee Martin Atkinson - who has shown 15 red cards since the start of last season - after 23 minutes for what appeared to be a legitimate challenge on Suarez.
ref: 2011 October 1, Phil McNulty, “Everton 0 - 2 Liverpool”, in BBC Sport:
text: According to the tweet, the encounter began with "a traffic stop for unlawful speed." If so, then the initial stop was legitimate, but in and of itself that wouldn't be probable cause to search the car. It does give an officer the right to look inside, and if contraband is in plain view, that would be probable cause. Here we don't know whether the bag full of drugs marked "BAG FULL OF DRUGS" was laying out in plain view, but it seems entirely possible.
ref: 2020 February 5, Kevin Underhill, “Bag Marked "Bag Full of Drugs" Allegedly Full of Drugs”, in Lowering the Bar, archived from the original on 16 Dec 2022:
synonyms: lawful
legal
antonyms: illegitimate
glosses: In accordance with the law or established legal forms and requirements.
examples: text: legitimate reasoning; a legitimate standard or method
text: Tillotson still keeps his place as a legitimate English classic.
ref: 1849–1861, Thomas Babington Macaulay, The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volume (please specify |volume=I to V), London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, →OCLC:
glosses: Conforming to known principles, or established or accepted rules or standards; valid.
examples: text: legitimate poems of Chaucer; legitimate inscriptions
text: The truth is, when we fail to protect legitimate rights of others and continue to expand the net of lies and defamation, every one would become victims one day including ourselves.
ref: 2020 December 20, Wen Sirui, “The Danger of One Voice from Mainstream Media”, in Minghui:
antonyms: illegitimate
false
glosses: Authentic, real, genuine.
synonyms: rightful
glosses: Marital.
Lawfully begotten, i.e. born to a married couple or later legitimated.
antonyms: illegitimate
raw_tags: of a child
examples: text: Besides his four legitimate wives, the caliph had dozens of concubines.
synonyms: rightful
glosses: Marital.
Legally married.
raw_tags: of a sexual partner
glosses: Relating to hereditary rights.
glosses: Belonging or relating to the legitimate theater.
Derived terms: legitimate drama
legitimate fertilization
legitimate interest
legitimately
legitimateness
legitimate theater
legitimatize
legitimator
nonlegitimate
semilegitimate