misbegotten

[ mis-bi-got-n ]

adjective

1. unlawfully or irregularly begotten; begotten; born of unmarried parents; illegitimate:

   his misbegotten son.

2. badly conceived, made, or carried out:

   his misbegotten plan.

misbegotten

/ ˌmɪsbɪˈɡɒtən /

adjective

1. unlawfully obtained

   misbegotten gains

2. badly conceived, planned, or designed

   a misbegotten scheme

3. literary.
   Alsomisbegotˌmɪsbɪˈɡɒt illegitimate; bastard

Word History and Origins

Origin of misbegotten¹

First recorded in 1540–50; mis- ¹ + begotten

Example Sentences

Before long, however, President George W. Bush’s misbegotten war in Iraq shattered the sense of oneness.

From Los Angeles Times

His activism earned him the lasting enmity of those who supported the misbegotten war.

From Los Angeles Times

Will Congress ever investigate this misbegotten operation and finally nail down the chain of events?

From Salon

But the cognitive dissonance of this convention goes well beyond that forlorn, misbegotten entrepreneurial venture.

From Salon

It has been tucked away like a dark family history or a misbegotten war, even as its consequences play out daily.

From Los Angeles Times