bastardy

noun

bas·​tardy ˈba-stər-dē How to pronounce bastardy (audio)
plural bastardies
1
: the quality or state of being born to parents who are not married to each other
2
: the fathering of a child with someone one is not married to

Examples of bastardy in a Sentence

acutely conscious of his bastardy, he always felt the need to prove himself
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Baseness, bastardy, base They are also reflected in the game’s popularity, especially among those with the most detached view of America: the millions of immigrants who have arrived over baseball’s history. The Economist, 8 June 2019 Johanna Luthman, a historian at the University of North Georgia, has worked for years to understand the practice and repercussions of fornication, adultery and bastardy among the early 17th-century English aristocracy. Richard Davenport-Hines, WSJ, 11 Aug. 2017

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of bastardy was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near bastardy

Cite this Entry

“Bastardy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bastardy. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!