Definition of LEGITIMATE (original) (raw)
1
a
: lawfully begotten
specifically : born in wedlock
b
: having full filial rights and obligations by birth
2
a
: being exactly as intended or presented : neither spurious nor false
a legitimate practitioner
" … we are pretty good at separating legitimate pain from drug-seeking behavior. … "—
Kenneth W. Fogelberg
also : being an actual example of something specified
a legitimate threat to national security
b
: genuinely good, impressive, or capable of success
And if he can fix his start … he is a legitimate contender for gold at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.—Sean Ingle
3
a
: accordant with law or with established legal forms and requirements
b
: ruling by or based on the strict principle of hereditary right
4
: conforming to recognized principles or accepted rules and standards
a legitimate advertising expenditure
also : fair or reasonable : valid
She raised some legitimate concerns.
5
: relating to plays acted by professional actors but not including revues, burlesque, or some forms of musical comedy
a(1)
: to give legal status or authorization to
(3)
: to lend authority or respectability to
b
: to give (a child born out of wedlock) the same legal status as a child born in wedlock
Synonyms
Choose the Right Synonym for legitimate
lawful, legal, legitimate, licit mean being in accordance with law.
lawful may apply to conformity with law of any sort (such as natural, divine, common, or canon).
legal applies to what is sanctioned by law or in conformity with the law, especially as it is written or administered by the courts.
legal residents of the state
legitimate may apply to a legal right or status but also, in extended use, to a right or status supported by tradition, custom, or accepted standards.
a perfectly legitimate question about taxes
licit applies to a strict conformity to the provisions of the law and applies especially to what is regulated by law.
the licit use of drugs by doctors
Examples of legitimate in a Sentence
Adjective
Law books were getting thicker by the week with Supreme Court decisions barring legitimate claims because they weren't timely filed. —John Grisham, The Chamber, 1995 Even in many courtrooms, where there is valid concern about the privacy of defendants, judges recognize that camera coverage serves a legitimate public interest. —New Republic, 22 Feb. 1993 He was indeed already a legitimate child according to the law of Scotland, by the subsequent marriage of his parents. —Sir Walter Scott, The Heart of Mid-Lothian, 1818
legitimate means for achieving success the legitimate use of firearms There's no legitimate reason for prescribing this medication to a child. Verb
Which comes first, the desire to legitimate euthanasia or the nullifying of a distinction between killing and allowing to die? —Daniel Callahan, Commonweal, 2 June 2000 Poland has ceased being a nation with even a pretense of Communist rule, a rule that is legitimated by Marxist ideology. —Irving Kristol, Wall Street Journal, 11 Jan. 1982 … they are more concerned with the ways in which schools and colleges legitimate and maintain inequality than with the ways they devalue and restrict personal autonomy. —Christopher Jencks, New York Times Book Review, 15 Feb. 1976
slang words legitimated by usage Her tendency to be secretive only serves to legitimate their suspicions.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
However, with the deadline now passed, the Lakers are without a legitimate big man. —Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 9 Feb. 2025 The spaces his runs open up are those that allow Palmer to be his most dangerous and give Sancho and Neto — two wingers who carry minimal direct goal threat — a legitimate target to supply. —Liam Twomey, The Athletic, 9 Feb. 2025
As the warm glow of his Crimea success has faded, Putin has struggled to find a narrative to legitimate his rule. —Timothy Frye, Foreign Affairs, 26 Feb. 2022 The stretch was supposed to tell us how close the over-performing Steelers could be to legitimate Super Bowl contenders. —Mike Defabo, The Athletic, 9 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for legitimate 
Word History
Etymology
Adjective and Verb
Middle English legitimat, from Medieval Latin legitimatus, past participle of legitimare to legitimate, from Latin legitimus legitimate, from leg-, lex law
First Known Use
Adjective
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3a
Verb
15th century, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of legitimate was in the 15th century
Dictionary Entries Near legitimate
Cite this Entry
“Legitimate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/legitimate. Accessed 14 Feb. 2025.
Share
More from Merriam-Webster on legitimate
Last Updated: 12 Feb 2025 - Updated example sentences
Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!