different between lawful vs legitimate

English

Alternative forms

• lawfull (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English laweful, equivalent to law +? -ful, conflated with Middle English leful, leeful, leveful (“according to law, lawful, pertaining to law”). See also leveful.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?l??f?l/
• Rhymes: -??f?l

Adjective

lawful (comparative more lawful, superlative most lawful)

1. (law) Conforming to, or recognised by the laws of society.

   Lawful money is always a land asset and can only be issued by an actual land jurisdiction government — not a corporation.

   Synonyms: just, legal, legitimate, licit

   Antonyms: nonlawful, unlawful

2. Operating according to some law or fundamental principle.

Related terms

• lawfully
• lawfulness

Translations

Noun

lawful (plural lawfuls)

1. (role-playing games) A character having a lawful alignment.

Anagrams

• awfull

Middle English

Adjective

lawful

1. Alternative form of laweful

English

Etymology

From Middle English legitimat, legytymat, from Medieval Latin l?gitimatus, perfect passive participle of Latin l?gitim? (“make legal”), from Latin l?gitimus (“lawful”), originally "fixed by law, in line with the law," from Latin l?x (“law”). Originally "lawfully begotten".

The verb was derived from the adjective by conversion.

Pronunciation

• (adjective, noun) IPA^(key): /l??d??t?m?t/, /l??d??t?m?t/
• (verb) IPA^(key): /l??d??t?me?t/

Adjective

legitimate (comparative more legitimate, superlative most legitimate)

1. In accordance with the law or established legal forms and requirements.

   Synonyms: lawful, legal

   Antonym: illegitimate
2. Conforming to known principles, or established or accepted rules or standards; valid.

   • Tillotson still keeps his place as a legitimate English classic.

3. Authentic, real, genuine.

   Antonym: illegitimate

   Antonym: false
5. Lawfully begotten, i.e., born to a legally married couple. [from mid-14th century]

   Synonym: rightful

   Antonym: illegitimate

6. Relating to hereditary rights.

Translations

Noun

legitimate (plural legitimates)

1. A person born to a legally married couple.

Antonyms

• bastard
• illegitimate

Verb

legitimate (third-person singular simple present legitimates, present participle legitimating, simple past and past participle legitimated)

1. (transitive) To make legitimate, lawful, or valid; especially, to put in the position or state of a legitimate person before the law, by legal means. [from 1590]

Usage notes

• Forms of legitimize are about twice as common as forms of the verb legitimate in the US.
• Forms of legitimate are somewhat more common than the forms of the verbs legitimize and legitimise (combined) in the UK.

Synonyms

• legitimize

Derived terms

• delegitimate

Translations

References

• legitimate at OneLook Dictionary Search
• legitimate in Keywords for Today: A 21st Century Vocabulary, edited by The Keywords Project, Colin MacCabe, Holly Yanacek, 2018.
• legitimate in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• Douglas Harper (2001–2021) , “legitimate”, in Online Etymology Dictionary

Latin

Adjective

l?gitim?te

1. vocative masculine singular of l?gitim?tus