Legitimate — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective verb /li-ˈji-tə-mət/ (adjective) /li-ˈji-tə-ˌmāt/ (verb) le·git·i·mate

Meaning & Definition of Legitimate

Legitimate (adjective)

  1. lawfully begotten; specifically, born in wedlock
  2. having full filial rights and obligations by birth
  3. being exactly as intended or presented, neither spurious nor false; also, being an actual example of something specified

Legitimate (verb)

  1. to make (someone or something) legitimate :
  2. to give legal status or authorization to
  3. to show or affirm to be justified

Legitimate (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. permitted by law

    "the mistrust created among investors by the financial scandal has hurt even companies engaged in wholly legitimate business practices"

    similar: lawful, legal, legit (slang), licit
    related: allowable, authorized, noncriminal, permissible, justifiable, warrantable, constitutional, de jure, regulation, statutory, good, innocent, just, proper, right
    opposite: illegal, illegitimate, illicit, lawless, unlawful, wrongful
    near: bad, corrupt, evil, immoral, iniquitous, reprobate, sinful, wicked, wrong, banned, criminal, forbidden, guilty, impermissible, outlawed, prohibited, unauthorized, unjust, under-the-counter, under-the-table, nonconstitutional, unconstitutional

Legitimate (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in warrant, sanction

    similar: legitimize, sanction, validate, warrant, authorize, entitle, privilege, qualify, empower, enable, enfranchise, license, approve, endorse, allow, let, permit, accredit, certificate, certify, charter (British), ratify, reaccredit, reapprove, recertify, recharter, revalidate
    opposite: delegitimize, invalidate, nullify, disable, disempower, disenfranchise, decertify, disallow, forbid, proscribe, disqualify

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Legitimate

The most common words with a similar meaning to Legitimate:

Slang: legit
British: charter
lawful, legal, licit, legitimize, sanction, validate, warrant, authorize, entitle, privilege, qualify, empower, enable, enfranchise, license, approve, endorse, allow, let, permit, accredit, certificate, certify, ratify, reaccredit, reapprove, recertify, recharter, revalidate

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Legitimate

Words with the opposite meaning of Legitimate:

illegal, illegitimate, illicit, lawless, unlawful, wrongful, delegitimize, invalidate, nullify, disable, disempower, disenfranchise, decertify, disallow, forbid, proscribe, disqualify

Related Words for Legitimate

allowable, authorized, noncriminal, permissible, justifiable, warrantable, constitutional, de jure, regulation, statutory, good, innocent, just, proper, right

Near Antonyms of Legitimate

bad, corrupt, evil, immoral, iniquitous, reprobate, sinful, wicked, wrong, banned, criminal, forbidden, guilty, impermissible, outlawed, prohibited, unauthorized, unjust, under-the-counter, under-the-table, nonconstitutional, unconstitutional

Word Forms of Legitimate

Inflections: legitimated, legitimating

Derived words: legitimation (noun), legitimator (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Legitimate

Middle English legitimat, from Medieval Latin legitimatus, past participle of legitimare to legitimate, from Latin legitimus legitimate, from leg-, lex law

First known use: 15th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Legitimate

Frequently Asked Questions about Legitimate

What does "Legitimate" mean?

"Legitimate" means lawfully begotten; specifically, born in wedlock. As an an adjective and a verb, it is defined as: lawfully begotten; specifically, born in wedlock. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Legitimate"?

Other words for "Legitimate" include lawful, legal, legit, licit, legitimize, sanction, validate and warrant. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Legitimate" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Legitimate"?

There are 46 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Legitimate". Common alternatives include lawful, legal, legit, licit, legitimize, sanction, validate, warrant, authorize and entitle.

What is the opposite of "Legitimate"?

Antonyms of "Legitimate" include illegal, illegitimate, illicit, lawless, unlawful, wrongful, delegitimize and invalidate. Near antonyms include bad, corrupt, evil and immoral.

How do you use "Legitimate" in a sentence?

Examples of "Legitimate" in a sentence: "the mistrust created among investors by the financial scandal has hurt even companies engaged in wholly legitimate business practices".

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

"Legitimate" can be used as an adjective and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Legitimate" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C1-level word, "Legitimate" is typical of Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE), IELTS band 7.0–8.0, TOEFL iBT 95–113, PTE Academic 76–84, TOEIC Listening & Reading 945+. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Legitimate"?

"Legitimate" is pronounced /li-ˈji-tə-mət/ as an adjective and /li-ˈji-tə-ˌmāt/ as a verb and divided into syllables as le·git·i·mate.