Word
legitimate
Phoneticsle·git·i·mate, stress on the second syllable
/ɫəˈdʒɪtəmət/
Definitions
01legal
B2 · Upper Intermediate Law
adj. allowed by the law or following official rules.
adj. conforming to the law or to established legal forms and requirements.
日本語:合法※
Español:legítimo
“The company made sure all its business deals were completely legitimate.”
“The court ruled that the contract was legitimate, as it had been signed by both parties under no duress and in accordance with local statutes.”
02valid or reasonable
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. fair, honest, or based on good reasons.
adj. conforming to recognized principles or accepted standards; justifiable and valid.
日本語:正当※
Español:legítimo
“It is a legitimate question to ask why the project is over budget.”
“While some critics dismissed the protest, many observers felt the students had legitimate grievances regarding the rising cost of tuition.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
03real or genuine
C1 · Advanced Formal
adj. real and not a fake or a trick.
adj. authentic, genuine, or real; not spurious or counterfeit.
“The email looked like a scam, but it turned out to be a legitimate message from the bank.”
“The collector refused to purchase the painting until a legitimate expert could verify its provenance and confirm it was not a clever forgery.”
04to make legal or acceptable
C1 · Advanced Formal
v. to make something legal or to make people accept it as right.
v. to make something legitimate, lawful, or valid; to justify or provide a legal basis for an action.
“The new law will legitimate the status of many workers who were previously undocumented.”
“The government sought to legitimate its controversial intervention by citing several international treaties that permitted such actions in times of crisis.”
Usage
This is a transitive verb and requires a direct object.
Antonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “legitimate” in context.
Verb
01. appear legitimate
“The email appeared legitimate, but it was actually a sophisticated phishing attempt.”
verb + adj
02. consider the claim legitimate
“The insurance company considered the claim legitimate and processed the payment immediately.”
verb + noun + adj
Adjective
03. legitimate concern
“Residents raised a legitimate concern regarding the increased traffic in the neighborhood.”
adj + noun
04. legitimate grievance
“The union argued that the workers had a legitimate grievance concerning their safety conditions.”
adj + noun
05. perfectly legitimate
“It is perfectly legitimate to question the government's decision during a public debate.”
adv + adj
Noun
06. legitimate expectation of privacy
“Citizens have a legitimate expectation of privacy regarding their personal correspondence.”
adj + noun + prep + noun
07. legitimate use of force
“The court had to determine whether the officer's actions constituted a legitimate use of force.”
adj + noun + prep + noun
08. legitimate businesses
Real-World Examples
“Employers are allowed to set standards around clothing and appearance, particularly where there are legitimate reasons such as safety, branding or maintaining a professional image.” “Glantz from Rusi thinks that as legitimate businesses close, crime moves in.” “Legitimate pairs will have safety certification ISO 12312-2 or ISO 12312-2:2015 printed somewhere on the glasses, according the Royal Observatory Greenwich.” Etymology
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)).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
ADVERB
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- C1 · AdvancedOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/legitimate
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0