le·git·i·mate 1 /lə-'ji-tə-mət/ adj [Medieval Latin legitimatus, past participle of legitimare to give legal status to, from Latin legitimus legally sanctioned, from leg-, lex law]
1: conceived or born of parents lawfully married to each other or having been made through legal procedure equal in status to one so conceived or born; also: having rights and obligations under the law as the child of such birth
2: being neither spurious nor false
a legitimate grievance
3: being in accordance with law or with established legal forms and requirements
a legitimate government
4: conforming to recognized principles or accepted rules and standards
a legitimate claim of entitlement
a legitimate business reason
le·git·i·mate·ly adv
le·git·i·mate 2 /lə-'ji-tə-ˌmāt/ vt -mat·ed, -mat·ing: to make legitimate: as
a: to give legal status or authorization to
b: to show or affirm to be justified or have merit
c: to put (an illegitimate child) in the state of a child born of married parents before the law by legal means compare filiate
le·git·i·ma·tion /lə-ˌji-tə-'mā-shən/ n
Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam-Webster. 1996.