Illegitimate
/ˌɪlɪˈdʒɪtɪmət/noun
Not authorized by law, custom, or proper procedure; especially born to parents not married to each other.
Did you know?Its core comes from Latin legitimus, meaning “lawful,” so the word is built from the same root as “legal,” “legislate,” and “ledger” — a reminder that language itself can decide who gets counted as legitimate.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
illegitimus
“not lawful; irregular; not in accordance with law or proper order”
Late Latin
Late Latin
illēgitimātus
“made unlawful or irregular”
Old French
Old French
illegitime
“unlawful; born outside lawful marriage”
14th Century
English
illegitime
“unlawful; not legitimate”
Modern English
English
illegitimate
“not authorized by law, custom, or proper procedure; especially born to parents not married to each other”