Legitimate
Conforming to the law or established rules; legally valid or genuine.
adjectiveLegitimate
Conforming to the law or established rules; legally valid or genuine.
adjectiveImagine This
Imagine a judge stamping a contract with a seal that reads LEGITIMATE. The document is checked against state law and an official registry, and once stamped, everyone accepts it as valid and genuine.
Sounds Like
lih-JIT-uh-mit
Looks Like
similar to legal; informal shorthand 'legit'
Remember This
Originates from Latin legitimus meaning 'lawful,' via Old French. Related terms include legitimacy, legitimate, and illegitimate.
Other Forms
Connect With
lawful, legal, valid, genuine, authentic
Note
Legitimate can describe legality, the legitimacy of a claim, or the reasonableness of an argument. Do not confuse with 'legible' (easy to read) or 'licit' (permissible by law in a narrower sense). Opposite sense is 'illegitimate.'
Study Deeper
- The contract is legitimate and enforceable in court.
- She provided a legitimate reason for missing the meeting, supported by documentation.
From Latin legitimus 'lawful, proper', from leg- 'law'. The term entered English via Old French legitim- (as in legitimité).
LEGIT = LEGAL + REAL. Think: if something is legit, it's both legal and real — a badge that combines 'legal' and 'real'.
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Impassive
adjectiveEmotionless; not showing any emotion or feeling.
Jettison
verbTo throw goods overboard to lighten a ship; to discard or abandon something unnecessary.
Irreverent
adjectiveShowing a lack of respect for things typically treated with respect or seriousness; often expressed through witty or dismissive humor.
Similar Words
Related words and words with the same part of speech.
Authentic
adjectiveReal or genuine; not fake or imitation; true to its claimed origin or identity.
Abstruse
adjectiveDifficult to understand; obscure or highly complex.
Accidental
adjectiveHappening by chance or without deliberate planning; not intended. In music, it is also a noun for a symbol that temporarily alters a pitch.
Acerbic
adjectiveSharp or biting in tone or taste; caustic or mordant in manner.
Acquiescent
adjectiveReady to agree or approve without protest; compliant.
Adamant
adjectiveRigid in opinion or purpose; not willing to change one's mind or position.