Question 1 · Quick check
legitimate
CEFRB2
/lɪˈd͡ʒɪt.ɪ.mət/
adjective
Türkçe translations
Translating…
In plain English
- 01
adjective
Allowed by law or accepted as proper and reasonable.
- 02
adjective
Extra detailAuthentic, real, genuine.
Examples
The Mafia uses legitimate business operations as a front.
We consider it the citizens' legitimate right to have public libraries.
At a glance
Sits at B2 on the CEFR scale
- Senses
- 5
- Parts of speech
- 1
- Citations
- 5
- Synonyms
- 5
Also pronounced
- /lɪˈd͡ʒɪt.ɪ.meɪt/
Deep Dive
adjective
Extra meaningsConforming to known principles, or established or accepted rules or standards; valid.
In accordance with the law or established legal forms and requirements.
Lawfully begotten, i.e. born to a married couple or later legitimated.
More examples
In contextBesides his four legitimate wives, the caliph had dozens of concubines.
legitimate reasoning; a legitimate standard or method
legitimate poems of Chaucer; legitimate inscriptions
Related
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Nearby
Origin
adjective
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)).