legitimate
legitimate Lexical Profile
legitimate Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Conforming to the law or to established rules, standards, or recognized authority.
"The auditor confirmed that all the company's tax deductions were for legitimate business expenses."
Able to be defended with logic, reason, or justification; reasonable and genuine.
"Sickness is a legitimate excuse for missing the final examination."
Born of parents who are lawfully married to each other, or having a rightful, hereditary title to a throne.
"The historical drama chronicles the struggle of the king's legitimate heir to reclaim the crown."
• verb
To make lawful, valid, or acceptable; to justify or lend authority to an action, belief, or institution.
"The presence of international observers helped legitimate the results of the national election."
Word Nuance & Usage
'Legitimate' is a heteronym: as an adjective, the final syllable is pronounced with a short, unstressed vowel (-mit), whereas as a verb, the final syllable takes a long 'a' sound (-mayt).
• Rhymes for legitimate
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed from Medieval Latin 'legitimatus', the past participle of 'legitimare' ('to make lawful'), which derives from Classical Latin 'legitimus' ('lawful') and ultimately from 'lex' ('law').