Le*git"i*mate (-māt), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Legitimated (-
mā`tĕd); p. pr. & vb. n.
Legitimating (-mā`tĭng).] To make
legitimate, lawful, or valid; esp., to put in the position or state
of a legitimate person before the law, by legal means; as, to
legitimate a bastard child.
To enact a statute of that which he dares not seem to
approve, even to legitimate vice.
Milton.Le*git"i*mate (-m?t), a. [LL.
legitimatus, p. p. of legitimare to legitimate, fr. L.
legitimus legitimate. See Legal.] 1.
Accordant with law or with established legal forms and
requirements; lawful; as, legitimate government;
legitimate rights; the legitimate succession to the
throne; a legitimate proceeding of an officer; a
legitimate heir.
2. Lawfully begotten; born in
wedlock.
3. Authorized; real; genuine; not false,
counterfeit, or spurious; as, legitimate poems of Chaucer;
legitimate inscriptions.
4. Conforming to known principles, or
accepted rules; as, legitimate reasoning; a legitimate
standard, or method; a legitimate combination of
colors.
Tillotson still keeps his place as a legitimate
English classic.
Macaulay.
5. Following by logical sequence; reasonable;
as, a legitimate result; a legitimate
inference.