illegitimate

[ adjective noun il-i-jit-uh-mit; verb il-i-jit-uh-meyt ]

adjective

1. born of parents who are not married to each other; born out of wedlock:

   an illegitimate child.

2. not legitimate; not sanctioned by law or custom.
3. unlawful; illegal:

   an illegitimate action.

4. irregular; not in good usage.
5. Logic. not in accordance with the principles of valid inference.
6. Obsolete. (formerly, in London)
   1. of or relating to stage plays in which musical numbers were inserted because of laws that gave only a few theaters the exclusive right to produce straight dramas.
   2. acting in or producing such productions.

noun

1. a person recognized or looked upon as illegitimate.

verb (used with object)

illegitimated, illegitimating.

1. to declare illegitimate.

illegitimate

/ ˌɪlɪˈdʒɪtɪmɪt /

adjective

1. born of parents who were not married to each other at the time of birth; bastard
2. forbidden by law; illegal; unlawful
3. contrary to logic; incorrectly reasoned

noun

1. an illegitimate person; bastard

Derived Forms

• ˌilleˈgitimately, adverb
• ˌilleˈgitimacy, noun

Other Word Forms

• ille·giti·mate·ly adverb
• ille·giti·mate·ness ille·giti·mation noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of illegitimate¹

First recorded in 1530–40; il- ² + legitimate

Synonym Study

See illegal.

Example Sentences

She presented herself as a wealthy, illegitimate daughter of the sultan of Brunei, initially showering Mr Hornigold, his then-partner Heather Kaniuk and his friends with lavish gifts, from cars to homes.

From BBC

Holding an election may also be seen as accepting Russian arguments that Volodymyr Zelensky's leadership is illegitimate because of the suspended elections last year.

From BBC

Moscow says the current Ukrainian authorities are illegitimate as President Volodymyr Zelensky has stayed in power beyond the end of his term and is therefore not a valid negotiating partner.

From BBC

There are illegitimate websites that claim to be connected with the ICE website.

From Los Angeles Times

In light of that, when he speaks of "waste" in Social Security, he's hinting at this broader view that retired people are inherently illegitimate.

From Salon

Related Words

• illegal
• illicit
• improper
• invalid
• unauthorized
• unconstitutional
• unlawful