le·git·i·ma·cy

[li-jit-uh-muh-see]
noun
the state or quality of being legitimate.

Origin:
1685–95; legitim(ate) + -acy

non·le·git·i·ma·cy, noun


lawfulness, legality, rightfulness.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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World English Dictionary
legitimate
 
adj
1.  born in lawful wedlock; enjoying full filial rights
2.  conforming to established standards of usage, behaviour, etc
3.  based on correct or acceptable principles of reasoning
4.  reasonable, sensible, or valid: a legitimate question
5.  authorized, sanctioned by, or in accordance with law
6.  of, relating to, or ruling by hereditary right: a legitimate monarch
7.  of or relating to a body of famous long-established plays as distinct from films, television, vaudeville, etc: the legitimate theatre
 
vb
8.  (tr) to make, pronounce, or show to be legitimate
 
[C15: from Medieval Latin lēgitimātus made legal, from lēx law]
 
le'gitimacy
 
n
 
le'gitimateness
 
n
 
le'gitimately
 
adv
 
legiti'mation
 
n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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00:10
Legitimacy is always a great word to know.
So is gobo. Does it mean:
a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare.
a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc.
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

legitimacy
1690s, of children; general use from 1836; see legitimate.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia

legitimacy

status of children begotten and born outside of wedlock. Many statutes either state, or are interpreted to mean, that usually a child born under a void marriage is not illegitimate if his parents clearly believed that they were legally married. Similarly, annulment of a marriage usually does not illegitimize the children.

Learn more about legitimacy with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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Example sentences
There is another question, about the legitimacy of research.
As the protests grow the authority and legitimacy of the regime is bound to be
  questioned.
If for-profits want the same legitimacy as traditional universities, they have
  to be able to answer those questions.
Granting a party the right to take part in elections does not bestow on it the
  seal of legitimacy.
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