Illegitimate — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective /ˌi-li-ˈji-tə-mət/ il·le·git·i·mate

Meaning & Definition of Illegitimate

Illegitimate (adjective)

  1. not recognized as lawful offspring
  2. born of parents not married to each other
  3. not sanctioned by law, illegal

Illegitimate (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. born to a father and mother who are not married

    "despite being illegitimate, Alexander Hamilton rose to greatness"

    similar: baseborn, misbegotten, natural, spurious, supposititious, unfathered
    related: fatherless, motherless, nameless, adopted, orphaned
    opposite: legitimate

  2. contrary to or forbidden by law

    "an illegitimate use of campaign contributions for personal expenses"

    similar: criminal, felonious, illegal, illicit, lawless, unlawful, wrongful
    related: bad, evil, immoral, shameful, sinful, unethical, wicked, wrong, blamable, blameworthy, censurable, reprehensible, banned, barred, contraband, criminalized, disallowed, discouraged, forbidden, interdicted, outlawed, prohibited, proscribed, adulterine, bootleg, unauthorized, unlicensed, unsanctioned, under-the-counter, under-the-table, corrupt, unprincipled, unscrupulous, villainous
    opposite: lawful, legal, legitimate
    near: ethical, good, just, principled, right, righteous, virtuous, allowed, permitted, authorized, licensed, approved, endorsed, sanctioned, abetted, encouraged, promoted, suggested, supported, correct, decent, decorous, proper, seemly

  3. not using or following good reasoning

    "made several illegitimate inferences"

    similar: fallacious, illogical, inconsequent, inconsequential, invalid, irrational, nonrational, unreasonable, unreasoning, unsound, weak
    related: eristic, misleading, sophistic, specious, half-baked, ill-advised, misguided, unconsidered, unreasoned, inconsistent, absurd, asinine, foolish, meaningless, nonsensical, preposterous, reasonless, senseless, silly, Kafkaesque, odd, peculiar, strange, surreal, unusual, weird, insane, mad, nutty, wacky, disordered, disorganized, rambling, random, unconvincing, inexplicable, unaccountable, unexplainable
    opposite: logical, rational, reasonable, sound, valid, well-founded, well-grounded
    near: commonsense, sane, sensible, sober, wise, enlightened, informed, just, justified, reasoned, ordered, organized, clear, cogent, compelling, convincing, credible, persuasive, plausible, satisfying, solid, certain, sure, true, confirmed, corroborated, demonstrated, established, substantiated, validated

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Illegitimate

The most common words with a similar meaning to Illegitimate:

baseborn, misbegotten, natural, spurious, supposititious, unfathered, criminal, felonious, illegal, illicit, lawless, unlawful, wrongful, fallacious, illogical, inconsequent, inconsequential, invalid, irrational, nonrational, unreasonable, unreasoning, unsound, weak

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Illegitimate

Words with the opposite meaning of Illegitimate:

legitimate, lawful, legal, logical, rational, reasonable, sound, valid, well-founded, well-grounded

Related Words for Illegitimate

fatherless, motherless, nameless, adopted, orphaned, bad, evil, immoral, shameful, sinful, unethical, wicked, wrong, blamable, blameworthy, censurable, reprehensible, banned, barred, contraband, criminalized, disallowed, discouraged, forbidden, interdicted, outlawed, prohibited, proscribed, adulterine, bootleg

Near Antonyms of Illegitimate

ethical, good, just, principled, right, righteous, virtuous, allowed, permitted, authorized, licensed, approved, endorsed, sanctioned, abetted, encouraged, promoted, suggested, supported, correct, decent, decorous, proper, seemly, commonsense, sane, sensible, sober, wise, enlightened

Word Forms of Illegitimate

Derived words: illegitimately (adverb)

Origin & Etymology of Illegitimate

First known use: 1536

Frequently Asked Questions about Illegitimate

What does "Illegitimate" mean?

"Illegitimate" means not recognized as lawful offspring. As an adjective, it is defined as: not recognized as lawful offspring. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Illegitimate"?

Other words for "Illegitimate" include baseborn, misbegotten, natural, spurious, supposititious, unfathered, criminal and felonious. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Illegitimate" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Illegitimate"?

There are 101 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Illegitimate". Common alternatives include baseborn, misbegotten, natural, spurious, supposititious, unfathered, criminal, felonious, illegal and illicit.

What is the opposite of "Illegitimate"?

Antonyms of "Illegitimate" include legitimate, lawful, legal, logical, rational, reasonable, sound and valid. Near antonyms include ethical, good, just and principled.

How do you use "Illegitimate" in a sentence?

Examples of "Illegitimate" in a sentence: "despite being illegitimate, Alexander Hamilton rose to greatness"; "an illegitimate use of campaign contributions for personal expenses"; "made several illegitimate inferences".

Is "Illegitimate" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Illegitimate" is an adjective.

How do you pronounce "Illegitimate"?

"Illegitimate" is pronounced /ˌi-li-ˈji-tə-mət/ and divided into syllables as il·le·git·i·mate.

What is the origin of the word "Illegitimate"?

First known use: 1536.