illegitimate

AI In plain words

Writing a short explanation…

Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.

illegitimate

/ɪlɪˈd͡ʒɪtɪmət/
[ɪlɨˈd͡ʒɪɾəmɨt] US
/ɘlɘˈdʒɘtɘmɘt/ New Zealand
/ɪlɪˈd͡ʒɪtɪmeɪt/
[ɪlɨˈd͡ʒɪɾəmeɪt] US
/ɘlɘˈdʒɘtɘmeɪt/ New Zealand

Where it comes from

First attested in 1536, from Latin illēgitimus, most likely an adapted borrowing of Middle French illegitime, equivalent to il- + legitimate, see -ate (etymology 1, 2 and 3).

adjective more illegitimate · most illegitimate

Not conforming to known principles, or established or accepted rules or standards. […] it may be impossible to convince them that the illegitimate power which they obtain, by degrading themselves, is a curse […]
Not in accordance with the law. […] if things went on at this rate it would be doubtful soon whether ever again he would be able to win another election by methods legitimate or illegitimate.
Not sanctioned by marriage. If we credit the scandal of the former [i.e. his enemies], Artaxerxes sprang from the illegitimate commerce of a tanner’s wife with a common soldier.
Born to unmarried parents. an illegitimate child
dated Having a child or children with a person to whom one is not married. She had only to collect her memories, which proved to her that “anybody” regarded the illegitimate children as more rightfully to be looked shy on and deprived of social advantages than illegitimate fathers.
Not correctly deduced. an illegitimate inference
Not authorized by good usage; not genuine. an illegitimate word
Involving the fertilization of pistils by stamens not of their own length, in heterogonously dimorphic and trimorphic flowers. illegitimate union; illegitimate fertilization

noun illegitimates

A person born to unmarried parents. Her father and mine was a shameless man and of all his illegitimates I am the most unfortunate and poverty stricken.

verb illegitimates · illegitimating · illegitimated

transitive To make illegitimate.

Talk about this word