illegitimate
adjective
il·le·git·i·mate
ˌi-li-ˈji-tə-mət 
1
a
: not recognized as lawful offspring
b
: born of parents not married to each other
2
a
: not sanctioned by law : illegal
b
: not authorized by good usage
c
of a taxon
: published but not in accordance with the rules of the relevant international code
3
: not rightly deduced or inferred : illogical
4
: departing from the regular : erratic
illegitimately
adverb
Synonyms
Examples of illegitimate in a Sentence
She thinks that my concerns are illegitimate.
They were fired from their jobs for illegitimate reasons.
Recent Examples on the Web
The United States Congress has a long tradition of not recognizing illegitimate regimes.
—
Nana Sajaia, Fox News, 8 Jan. 2025
Here's why there are still some Riley and Gooch obtained nearly $3.3 million in illegitimate proceeds from AHCCCS, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
—Olivia Rose, The Arizona Republic, 21 Dec. 2024
For true believers in the cult of social justice, even Mangum’s confession will not disabuse them of their belief that those who are born into the wrong identities are the illegitimate beneficiaries of generational theft.
—The Editors, National Review, 17 Dec. 2024
However, the group is often met with pushback from Christians, who view Satanism as an illegitimate religion and a blasphemous group that should not be entitled to First Amendment protections.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 16 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for illegitimate 
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Nana Sajaia, Fox News, 8 Jan. 2025
Here's why there are still some Riley and Gooch obtained nearly $3.3 million in illegitimate proceeds from AHCCCS, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
—Olivia Rose, The Arizona Republic, 21 Dec. 2024
For true believers in the cult of social justice, even Mangum’s confession will not disabuse them of their belief that those who are born into the wrong identities are the illegitimate beneficiaries of generational theft.
—The Editors, National Review, 17 Dec. 2024
However, the group is often met with pushback from Christians, who view Satanism as an illegitimate religion and a blasphemous group that should not be entitled to First Amendment protections.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 16 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for illegitimate
Dictionary Entries Near illegitimate
Cite this Entry
“Illegitimate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/illegitimate. Accessed 23 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
illegitimate
adjective
il·le·git·i·mate
ˌil-i-ˈjit-ə-mət
1
: born of a father and mother who are not married
2
: illegal
illegitimately
adverb
Legal Definition
illegitimate
adjective
il·le·git·i·mate
ˌi-li-ˈji-tə-mət
1
: not recognized by the law as offspring
specifically
: born out of marriage
Note: An illegitimate child is usually legitimated by his or her parents' later marriage. Illegitimate children generally have the same inheritance rights under intestate successions as legitimate children; statutes limiting their inheritance rights have been found to violate the equal protection clause.
2
: not valid according to law
illegitimate
noun
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