Being in compliance with the law; lawful: a legitimate business.
Being in accordance with established or accepted patterns and standards: legitimate advertising practices.
Based on logical reasoning; reasonable: a legitimate solution to the problem.
Authentic; genuine: a legitimate complaint.
Born of legally married parents: legitimate issue.
Of, relating to, or ruling by hereditary right: a legitimate monarch.
Of or relating to drama of high professional quality that excludes burlesque, vaudeville, and some forms of musical comedy: the legitimate theater.
tr.v.
(-māt') le·git·i·mat·ed, le·git·i·mat·ing, le·git·i·mates To make legitimate, as:
a. To give legal force or status to; make lawful.
[Middle English legitimat, born in wedlock, from Medieval Latin lēgitimātus, law-worthy, past participle of lēgitimāre, to make lawful, from Latin lēgitimus, legitimate, from lēx, lēg-, law; see leg- in Indo-European roots.] le·git'i·mate·ly adv., le·git'i·mate·ness n., le·git'i·ma'tion n., le·git'i·mat'or (-māt'ər) n.
(lə-jĭt'ə-mĭt) 