legitimate
Part of speech: adj
noun
verb
Morphological type: derivation
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)).
Affixes: -ate
Inflected forms:
form: more legitimate
pos: adj
tags: comparative
form: most legitimate
pos: adj
tags: superlative
form: legitimates
pos: noun
tags: plural
form: legitimates
pos: verb
tags: present
singular
third-person
form: legitimating
pos: verb
tags: participle
present
form: legitimated
pos: verb
tags: participle
past
form: legitimated
pos: verb
tags: past
Senses:
gloss: In accordance with the law or established legal forms and requirements.
pos: adj
examples: 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.
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.
gloss: Conforming to known principles, or established or accepted rules or standards; valid.
pos: adj
examples: legitimate reasoning; a legitimate standard or method
Tillotson still keeps his place as a legitimate English classic.
gloss: Authentic, real, genuine.
pos: adj
examples: legitimate poems of Chaucer; legitimate inscriptions
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.
gloss: Marital.
pos: adj
gloss: Marital.
pos: adj
examples: Besides his four legitimate wives, the caliph had dozens of concubines.
gloss: Relating to hereditary rights.
pos: adj
gloss: Belonging or relating to the legitimate theater.
pos: adj
gloss: A person born to a legally married couple.
pos: noun
examples: But should a “holy alliance of legitimates” extinguish it, it will be but for a season.
This extraordinarily mixed family of legitimates and illegitimates seems to have maintained a certain kind of harmony.
His overweening pride received another shock through his new friends the legitimates.
gloss: To make legitimate, lawful, or valid; especially, to put in the position or state of a legitimate person before the law, by legal means.
pos: verb
tags: transitive
Antonyms: bastard
illegitimate
Derived words: legitimate drama
legitimate fertilization
legitimate interest
legitimately
legitimateness
legitimate theater
legitimatize
legitimator
nonlegitimate
semilegitimate
Translations: