legitimate

Reading level: hard

Estimated CEFR level: B2 — Upper-Intermediate

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. verb make legal
  2. verb show or affirm to be just and legitimate
  3. verb make (an illegitimate child) legitimate; declare the legitimacy of (someone)

Etymology

From Middle English legitimat, legytymat, from Medieval Latin lēgitimātus, perfect passive participle of Latin lēgitimō (“to make legal”) (see -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from Latin lēgitimus (“lawful”), originally "fixed by law, in line with the law," from Latin lēx (“law”). Originally "lawfully begotten". The noun was derived from the adjective within English or earlier by substantivization (see -ate (noun-forming suffix)), the verb from the adjective by conversion (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)).

In classic literature

Synonyms

legalize, legalise, decriminalize, decriminalise, legitimize, legitimise, legitimatize, legitimatise

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