Illegitimate

/ɪˌlɛdʒɪˈtɪmət/

Meaning & Definition

noun

A person born of parents who are not married to each other.

As an illegitimate, he faced discrimination in his community.

adjective

Born of parents who are not married to each other; often considered socially unacceptable.

He was raised as an illegitimate child, which affected his social standing.

Not in accordance with accepted standards or rules; not valid.

The committee rejected his illegitimate claim to the property.

Not authorized by law; illegal or unlawful.

The illegitimate business practices led to a government investigation.

From Latin 'illegitimus', from 'in-' meaning 'not' + 'legitimus' meaning 'lawful'.

illegitimate child:

A child born to parents who are not married to each other.

illegitimate business:

A business operation that is not authorized by law.

illegitimate claim:

A claim that lacks legal validity.

Not valid or genuine.

Those so-called 'experts' are totally illegitimate.

Unrecognized or unapproved.

Using that vendor is just illegitimate; stick with the trusted ones.