illegitimacy

noun

il·​le·​git·​i·​ma·​cy ˌi-li-ˈji-tə-mə-sē How to pronounce illegitimacy (audio)
1
: the quality or state of being illegitimate
2

Examples of illegitimacy in a Sentence

she had learned of her illegitimacy while rummaging through old family records in the attic
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.
Debate moderators World News Tonight anchor and managing editor David Muir and ABC News Live Prime anchor Linsey Davis, also called out the illegitimacy of the claims, repeating city officials’ statements that those stories are not true. Demicia Inman, VIBE.com, 11 Sep. 2024 Such a move would merely have created a new kind of illegitimacy that penalized Azerbaijan and the Azerbaijanis who lived in and around the enclave. Thomas De Waal, Foreign Affairs, 26 Oct. 2020 So begins a historical thriller abounding in surefire ingredients: murder, conspiracy, forgery, false witness, romance and illegitimacy. Katherine A. Powers, Washington Post, 18 Jan. 2024 Unsurprisingly, Collins’ works often explored themes of illegitimacy, the precarity of family and the ruptures caused when legal technicalities clashed with emotional bonds. Katherine Hobbs, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Jan. 2024 See all Example Sentences for illegitimacy 

Word History

First Known Use

1680, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of illegitimacy was in 1680

Dictionary Entries Near illegitimacy

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

illegitimacy

noun
il·​le·​git·​i·​ma·​cy ˌil-i-ˈjit-ə-mə-sē How to pronounce illegitimacy (audio)
: the quality or state of being illegitimate

Legal Definition

illegitimacy

noun
il·​le·​git·​i·​ma·​cy ˌi-li-ˈji-tə-mə-sē How to pronounce illegitimacy (audio)
: the quality or state of being illegitimate

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