LEGIT'IMATE, adjective [Latin legitimus, from lex, law.]

1. Lawfully begotten or born; born in wedlock; as legitimate heirs or children.

2. Genuine; real; proceeding from a pure source; not false or spurious; as legitimate arguments or inferences.

LEGIT'IMATE, verb transitive

1. To make lawful

2. To render legitimate; to communicate the rights of a legitimate child to one that is illegitimate; to invest with the rights of a lawful heir.