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illegitimacy
noun
il·le·git·i·ma·cy
ˌi-li-ˈji-tə-mə-sē
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
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
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Word History
First Known Use
1680, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near illegitimacy
Cite this Entry
“Illegitimacy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/illegitimacy. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
illegitimacy
noun
il·le·git·i·ma·cy
ˌil-i-ˈjit-ə-mə-sē
: the quality or state of being illegitimate
Legal Definition
illegitimacy
noun
il·le·git·i·ma·cy
ˌi-li-ˈji-tə-mə-sē
: the quality or state of being illegitimate
More from Merriam-Webster on illegitimacy
Nglish: Translation of illegitimacy for Spanish Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about illegitimacy
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