legitimate

Legitimate is an adjective and verb with related but distinct senses centered on legality, authority, and justification. In law and public affairs, legitimate describes something that conforms to law and to accepted standards of legality and authority. A legitimate government, action, or claim is recognized as lawful and properly empowered by the rules that govern a state or organization. In family law, a legitimate child is traditionally one recognized as the offspring of a lawful marriage; in many modern legal systems, the practical implications of legitimacy have shifted, and distinctions based on birth within or outside marriage may be limited or removed.

In a broader sense, legitimate also means justifiable, reasonable, or well-founded. A legitimate concern, grievance, or request has a rational basis and warrants consideration. This sense emphasizes merit or credibility rather than strict adherence to statute alone.

As a verb, to legitimate means to give legal recognition or social acceptance to something, or to validate something by law or by established standards. The process may involve formal recognition, verification, or certification.

Etymology traces legitimate to Latin legitimus, meaning lawful or proper, from a root related to law, and it entered English through Old French and Middle English. The term is often contrasted with illegitimate, illegal, or unjustified. While legal status and legitimacy can overlap, legitimate commonly carries an additional sense of moral or practical justification beyond formal legality.