- legitimate
-
le·git·i·mate 1 /lə-'ji-tə-mət/ adj [Medieval Latin legitimatus, past participle of legitimare to give legal status to, from Latin legitimus legally sanctioned, from leg-, lex law]1: conceived or born of parents lawfully married to each other or having been made through legal procedure equal in status to one so conceived or born; also: having rights and obligations under the law as the child of such birth2: being neither spurious nor falsea legitimate grievance3: being in accordance with law or with established legal forms and requirementsa legitimate government4: conforming to recognized principles or accepted rules and standardsa legitimate claim of entitlementa legitimate business reasonle·git·i·mate·ly advle·git·i·mate 2 /lə-'ji-tə-ˌmāt/ vt -mat·ed, -mat·ing: to make legitimate: asa: to give legal status or authorization tob: to show or affirm to be justified or have meritc: to put (an illegitimate child) in the state of a child born of married parents before the law by legal means compare filiatele·git·i·ma·tion /lə-ˌji-tə-'mā-shən/ n
Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam-Webster. 1996.
- legitimate
-
I
(lawfully conceived) adjective
born in wedlock, born of parents legally married, conceived of parents legally married, natural, of lawful parentage, sired in wedlock
associated concepts: legitimate issue
II
(rightful) adjective
according to law, allowed, authorized, constitutional, enacted, genuine, in accordance with law, in accordance with legal provisions, juristic, law-abiding, lawful, legal, legalized, legislated, licensed, licit, mandated, official, real, recognized by law, rightful, sanctioned, sanctioned by custom, sanctioned by law, sanctioned by legal authority, sound, statutable, statutory, valid, well-founded, well-grounded, within the law
associated concepts: legitimate business, legitimate heirs, legitimate purpose, legitimate title
III
verb
approve, authorize, certify, declare lawful, legalize, legitimatize, make lawful, make legal, make legitimate, sanction, validate
IV
index
admissible, allowable, allowed, authentic, authorize, bona fide, choate lien, constitute (establish), de jure, due (regular), ethical, fit, formalize, genuine, honest, justifiable, justify, lawful, legal, legalize, licit, official, permissible, plausible, proper, rational, real, reliable, right (correct), rightful, sanction, sane, scrupulous, sound, straightforward, tenable, true (authentic), upright, valid, veridical, viable, well-grounded
Burton's Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006
- legitimate
-
1) Legal, proper, or real.2) A child born to parents who are married.Category: Divorce & Family Law
Nolo’s Plain-English Law Dictionary. Gerald N. Hill, Kathleen Thompson Hill. 2009.
- legitimate
-
To make lawful, such as when a child is born prior to the parents' marriage and they subsequently wed and thereby confer upon the child the same legal status as those born in lawful wedlock.That which is lawful, legal, recognized by law, or in accordance with law, such as legitimate children or legitimate authority; real, valid, or genuine.
Dictionary from West's Encyclopedia of American Law. 2005.
- legitimate
-
I
To make lawful, such as when a child is born prior to the parents' marriage and they subsequently wed and thereby confer upon the child the same legal status as those born in lawful wedlock.That which is lawful, legal, recognized by law, or in accordance with law, such as legitimate children or legitimate authority; real, valid, or genuine.II That which is legal, lawful, recognized by law or according to law.
Short Dictionary of (mostly American) Legal Terms and Abbreviations.
- legitimate
-
adj., adv.1) legal, proper, real.2) referring to a child born to parents who are married. A baby born to parents who are not married is illegitimate, but can be made legitimate (legitimatized) by the subsequent marriage of the parents.3) v. to make proper and/or legal.
Law dictionary. EdwART. 2013.