Legitimate

Legitimate, le-jit′i-māt, adj. lawful: lawfully begotten, born in wedlock: fairly deduced: following by natural sequence: authorised by usage.—v.t. to make lawful: to give the rights of a legitimate child to an illegitimate one.—n. Legit′imacy, state of being legitimate: lawfulness of birth: regular deduction: directness of descent as affecting the royal succession.—adv. Legit′imately.—ns. Legit′imateness, lawfulness; Legitimā′tion, act of rendering legitimate, esp. of conferring the privileges of lawful birth.—v.t. Legit′imise (same as Legitimate).—n. Legit′imist, one who supports legitimate authority: in France, a follower of the elder Bourbon line (descendants of Louis XIV.), as opposed to the Orleanists or supporters of the descendants of the Duke of Orleans, Louis XIV.'s brother.—Legitimate drama, a designation frequently applied to the representation of Shakespeare's plays—often employed as vaguely indicating approval of the drama of some former time. [Low L. legitimāre. -ātum—L. legitimus, lawful—lex, law.]