legitimate
lih-JIHT-ih-muht
Legitimate (adj) means Allowed by, or in agreement with, the law. Example: “Make sure you buy tickets only from a legitimate seller, not a stranger online.”
adj
1
Allowed by, or in agreement with, the law.
"Make sure you buy tickets only from a legitimate seller, not a stranger online."
"Her aunt runs a perfectly legitimate business selling secondhand furniture."
"The company operates a legitimate import business."
2
Reasonable, valid, or based on sound logic or accepted standards.
"Asking for more time to read the contract is a legitimate request."
"She raised a legitimate concern about the budget."
"That's a legitimate excuse for missing the deadline."
verb
1
To make something lawful or officially accepted as valid.
"The new law was meant to legitimate small traders who had worked without licences."
"Winning the vote helped legitimate the leader's claim to the post."
"The treaty legitimated the new border."
How to use legitimate
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishLegitimate means either lawful/official, or reasonable and justified.
Common mistake
Don't confuse with legible (able to be read) — they look similar but are unrelated.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
legitimate reason
legitimate business
legitimate concern
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like legitimate.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Word forms
- Plural
- legitimates
- Third person singular
- legitimates
- Past tense
- legitimated
- Comparative
- more legitimate
- Superlative
- most legitimate
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
Make sure you buy tickets only from a _____ seller, not a stranger online.
Etymology
From Medieval Latin legitimatus, "made lawful", from Latin legitimus ("lawful"), itself from lex, "law". It originally described children "lawfully begotten" — that is, born to a married couple.
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for legitimate
See all rhymes for legitimate →Frequently asked questions
What does “legitimate” mean?
The word “legitimate” means allowed by, or in agreement with, the law. In plain terms, legitimate means either lawful/official, or reasonable and justified.
How do you pronounce “legitimate”?
“Legitimate” is pronounced lih-JIHT-ih-muht (/lɪˈd͡ʒɪt.ɪ.mət/ in IPA).
How do you use “legitimate” in a sentence?
Here is “legitimate” used in a sentence: “The company operates a legitimate import business.”
What is the opposite of “legitimate”?
The opposite of “legitimate” — its antonyms — is illegitimate.
What part of speech is “legitimate”?
Depending on how it is used, “legitimate” can be an adjective and a verb.
Where does the word “legitimate” come from?
The word “legitimate” comes from Medieval Latin. From Medieval Latin legitimatus, "made lawful", from Latin legitimus ("lawful"), itself from lex, "law". It originally described children "lawfully begotten" — that is, born to a married couple.
Is “legitimate” a common word?
“Legitimate” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.
How many meanings does “legitimate” have?
“Legitimate” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: allowed by, or in agreement with, the law.
What is the difference between 'legitimate' and 'legal'?
'Legal' means simply allowed by law. 'Legitimate' also means allowed by or in agreement with the law, but it carries an extra sense of being reasonable, valid, and properly justified. Something can be legal yet still feel questionable, whereas 'legitimate' implies genuine and fair as well.
What is the difference between 'legitimate' and 'valid'?
'Valid' means sound, well-founded, or logically acceptable, as in a valid argument. 'Legitimate' shares this sense of being reasonable and based on sound logic or accepted standards, but it also carries the meaning of being lawful. A concern can be both valid and legitimate.
Can 'legitimate' be used as a verb?
Yes. Pronounced slightly differently, 'legitimate' can act as a verb meaning to make something lawful or justified, similar to 'legitimize'. More often, though, the related verb 'legitimize' is used for this purpose while 'legitimate' serves as the adjective.
What is a 'legitimate reason' or 'legitimate concern'?
These phrases use the second sense of the word: reasonable, valid, or based on sound logic and accepted standards. A legitimate reason is a genuine, justifiable one rather than an excuse, and a legitimate concern is a well-founded worry.
Featured in
Vocabulary lists that include legitimate:
