legitimate

About 13.05 uses per million words.

Meaning

1. adjective In accordance with the law or established legal forms and requirements.
2. adjective Conforming to known principles, or established or accepted rules or standards; valid.

   legitimate reasoning; a legitimate standard or method

3. adjective Authentic, real, genuine.

   legitimate poems of Chaucer; legitimate inscriptions

4. adjective Marital.

   Besides his four legitimate wives, the caliph had dozens of concubines.

5. adjective Lawfully begotten, i.e. born to a married couple or later legitimated. .mw-parser-output .defdate{font-size:smaller}
6. adjective Legally married.

   Besides his four legitimate wives, the caliph had dozens of concubines.

7. adjective Relating to hereditary rights.
8. adjective Belonging or relating to the legitimate theater.

Similar words

lawful legitimatize legitimize valid legal rightful true logical morganatic established

Often followed by

and to business authority interests interest government means the

Word family

legitimated legitimates legitimating legitimation legitimations legitimator legitimators