Definition of ILLEGITIMATE

illegitimate

Plural: illegitimates

Noun

  • the illegitimate offspring of unmarried parents
  • A person born to unmarried parents.

Adjective Satellite

  • contrary to or forbidden by law
    • "an illegitimate seizure of power"

Adjective

  • of marriages and offspring; not recognized as lawful

Adj

  • Not conforming to known principles, or established or accepted rules or standards.
  • Not in accordance with the law.
  • Not sanctioned by marriage.
  • Not sanctioned by marriage.
  • Born to unmarried parents.
  • Not sanctioned by marriage.
  • Having a child or children with a person to whom one is not married.
  • Not correctly deduced.
  • Not authorized by good usage; not genuine.
  • Involving the fertilization of pistils by stamens not of their own length, in heterogonously dimorphic and trimorphic flowers.

Verb

  • To make illegitimate.

Examples

  • an illegitimate child
  • an illegitimate inference

Origin / Etymology

First attested in 1536, from Latin illēgitimus, most likely an adapted borrowing of Middle French illegitime, equivalent to il- + legitimate, see -ate (etymology 1, 2 and 3).

Synonyms

bastard, by-blow, illegitimate child, illicit, love child, outlaw, outlawed, unlawful, whoreson, base, base born, baseborn, bastardly, degenerate, extramarital, illegal, illegitimate, illogical, invalid, lovechild, misbegotten, nameless, natural, natural child, spurious, unwanted

Scrabble Score: 15

illegitimate: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
illegitimate: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
illegitimate: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 19

illegitimate: valid Words With Friends Word