Legittimi

Legittimi is the masculine plural form of the Italian adjective legittimo, meaning legitimate, lawful, or rightful. It is used to describe things that are recognized by law or by moral norms and can modify nouns such as diritto, potere, azione, or status. When used as a noun phrase, i legittimi can refer to people who have a rightful claim under the law, most often heirs in a succession context.

In civil-law traditions, the related term legittima or quota legittima refers to the portion of an estate reserved by law for certain heirs. The legittima is protected by law to prevent total disinheritance, and the size and identity of the legittimari depend on the jurisdiction and the heirs’ relationship to the deceased. The concept functions to ensure a minimum share for those designated heirs, regardless of the decedent’s instructions in a will.

Beyond inheritance, legittimo is widely used in everyday and legal language to describe legitimate authority, genuine documents, or actions that are permissible under rules or norms. Phrases such as legittima difesa (legitimate defense) and legittimità (legitimacy) illustrate its application to rights, power, and authenticity in law, politics, and social life.

See also: legittimità, legittimare, legittimazione, legittima.