legitimate

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   Allowed by or in accordance with the law.

   They run a legitimate business that pays all its taxes.

2. 2
   adj

   Reasonable and acceptable; valid.

   She raised a legitimate concern about the plan.

3. 3
   adj

   Real and genuine, not fake.

   Make sure the website is legitimate before you enter your card details.

From Middle English legitimat, legytymat, from Medieval Latin lēgitimātus, perfect passive participle of Latin lēgitimō (“to make legal”) (see -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from Latin lēgitimus (“lawful”), originally "fixed by law, in line with the law," from Latin lēx (“law”). Originally "lawfully begotten". The noun was derived from the adjective within English or earlier by substantivization (see -ate (noun-forming suffix)), the verb from the adjective by conversion (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)).

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