Vocabulary in context
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Legitimate
Conforming to the law or established rules; legally valid or genuine.
adjective💡
Imagine 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.
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Sounds Like
lih-JIT-uh-mit
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Looks Like
similar to legal; informal shorthand 'legit'
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Remember This
Originates from Latin legitimus meaning 'lawful,' via Old French. Related terms include legitimacy, legitimate, and illegitimate.
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Other Forms
legitimacynoun
legitimateizeverb
legitimatingverb (present participle)
legitimatelyadverb
illegitimateadjective
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Connect With
lawful, legal, valid, genuine, authentic
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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.'
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Study Deeper
Examples
- The contract is legitimate and enforceable in court.
- She provided a legitimate reason for missing the meeting, supported by documentation.
Synonyms
lawfullegalvalidgenuineauthentic
Antonyms
illegitimateillegalinvalid
Etymology
From Latin legitimus 'lawful, proper', from leg- 'law'. The term entered English via Old French legitim- (as in legitimité).
Mnemonic
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.
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