Word a Day
legitimate
What does legitimate mean?
legitimate (adjective): conforming to known principles, or established or accepted rules or standards; valid.
Definition: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
How do you use legitimate in a sentence?
- Legitimate advertising practices. (Princeton WordNet 3.1)
How do you pronounce legitimate?
/ləˈdʒɪtəmət/ (IPA, American English). The app reads every word aloud.
Where does legitimate come from?
From Middle English legitimat, legytymat, from Medieval Latin lēgitimātus, perfect passive participle of Latin lēgitimō (“to make legal”).
Etymology: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Test yourself: do you know “legitimate”?
Tap an answer to check it. The same questions the app asks.
What does “legitimate” mean?
existing in reality, not just potentially; really acted or acting; occurring in fact
Not quite: that's what actual means.
denoting an action or event preceding or in preparation for something more important
Not quite: that's what preliminary means.
conforming to known principles, or established or accepted rules or standards; valid
Right! That's what “legitimate” means.
knowing and perceiving; having awareness of surroundings and sensations and thoughts
Not quite: that's what conscious means.
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