legitimate

UK: /lɪˈdʒɪtəmət/

US: /adj. lɪˈdʒɪtəmɪt; v. -ˌmeɪt/

US: (adj., n. li jit′ə mit; v. li jit′ə māt′)

Inflections of 'legitimate' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

legitimates

v 3rd person singular

legitimating

v pres p

legitimated

v past

legitimated

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

le•git•i•mate /adj. lɪˈdʒɪtəmɪt; v. -ˌmeɪt/   adj., v., -mat•ed, -mat•ing. 
adj. 

1. according to law;
   lawful:
   the property's legitimate owner.
2. following established rules, principles, or standards.
3. born of legally married parents:
   legitimate children.
4. valid;
   logical:
   a legitimate conclusion.
5. justified;
   genuine;
   reasonable:
   had a legitimate complaint.

v. [~ + object]

6. to make legitimate:
   Parliament legitimated her accession to the throne.

le•git•i•ma•cy /lɪˈdʒɪtəməsi/  n. [uncountable]
le•git•i•mate•ly, adv. See -leg-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

le•git•i•mate  (adj., n. li jit′ə mit;v. li jit′ə māt′), adj., v., -mat•ed, -mat•ing, n. 
adj. 

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.
4. in accordance with the laws of reasoning;
   logically inferable;
   logical:
   a legitimate conclusion.
5. resting on or ruling by the principle of hereditary right:
   a legitimate sovereign.
6. not spurious or unjustified;
   genuine:
   It was a legitimate complaint.
7. of the normal or regular type or kind.
8. Show Business [Theat.] of or pertaining to professionally produced stage plays, as distinguished from burlesque, vaudeville, television, motion pictures, etc.:
   an actor in the legitimate theater.

v.t. 

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. to show or declare to be legitimate or proper:
    He was under obligation to legitimate his commission.
12. to justify;
    sanction or authorize:
    His behavior was legitimated by custom.

n. 

13. Show Business the legitimate, the legitimate theater or drama.
14. a person who is established as being legitimate.

• Medieval Latin lēgitimātus (past participle of lēgitimāre to make lawful). See legitim, -ate¹
• 1485–95

le•git′i•mate•ly, adv. 
le•git′i•mate•ness, n. 
le•git′i•ma′tion, n. 
Synonyms

• 1. legal, licit.
• 2. sanctioned.
• 4. valid.
• 9. legalize.

Antonyms

• 1. illegitimate.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

legitimate adjective / lɪˈdʒɪtɪmɪt/

1. born in lawful wedlock; enjoying full filial rights
2. conforming to established standards of usage, behaviour, etc
3. based on correct or acceptable principles of reasoning
4. authorized, sanctioned by, or in accordance with law
5. of, relating to, or ruling by hereditary right: a legitimate monarch
6. of or relating to a body of famous long-established plays as distinct from films, television, vaudeville, etc

verb / lɪˈdʒɪtɪˌmeɪt/

1. (transitive) to make, pronounce, or show to be legitimate

Etymology: 15th Century: from Medieval Latin lēgitimātus made legal, from lēx law

leˈgitimacy, leˈgitimateness noun

leˈgitimately adverb

leˌgitiˈmation noun