illegitimate Synonyms
Another word for illegitimate
• adjective (Context 1)
Not authorized by the law; not in accordance with accepted standards, rules, or legal principles.
"The international community refused to recognize the military junta, declaring its seizure of power unlawful."
• adjective (Context 2)
(of a child) Born of parents not lawfully married to each other.
"Under the feudal succession laws of the period, an out-of-wedlock son could not inherit the family title."
• adjective (Context 3)
Not based on sound reasoning or valid evidence; logically flawed or unjustifiable.
"The professor pointed out that the student's essay relied on an invalid conclusion drawn from incomplete data."
• noun (Context 4)
A person born of parents not lawfully married to each other.
"The parish register carefully recorded baptisms of both lawful heirs and illegitimates throughout the eighteenth century."
• verb (Context 5)
To declare or render unlawful, invalid, or illegitimate (especially by legal decree or statute).
"Following the annulment of the monarch's marriage, parliament passed an act to illegitimize the princess."
Opposites of illegitimate
The opposite of illegitimate shifts depending on context. Common opposites include: