2023-03-26 ศัพท์ น่าสับสน ชุด I – Illegitimate – legitimate

Revision I

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Dictionary.com

ออกเสียง Illegitimate = Adj.-Noun = ‘il-i-JIT-uh-mit’ 

= Verb ending ‘meyt’

ออกเสียง legitimate = Adj.-n. = ‘li-JIT-uh-mit’ 

= verb ending ‘meyt’

 

Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree

illegitimate

born out of wedlock: 

an illegitimate child; 

not sanctioned by law or custom: 

an illegitimate action; 

not in proper grammatical usage

Not to be confused with:

illegal – forbidden by law or statute: 

an illegal U-turn; 

forbidden by official rules or regulations: 

an illegal block (in football); 

something that is unacceptable to 

or not performed by a computer: 

an illegal operation

illicit – not legally permitted or authorized: 

an illicit attempt to control the market; 

unlicensed; prohibited; not permitted by custom; 

disapproved of or not permitted for moral or ethical reasons

unlawful – contrary to law: 

unlawful search and seizure; 

born out of wedlock 

[All of the above describe actions 

that are not in accord with the law. 

 

However, there are some differences 

in meaning among the words. 

Illegal refers most specifically to 

violations of statutes or codified rules: I

llegal seizure of property. 

illegitimate means lacking legal or traditional rights: I

illegitimate use of privileged information. 

illicit most often applies to matters regulated by law 

with emphasis on the way things are carried out: 

illicit conversion of property. 

Unlawful means not sanctioned by law: 

an unlawful claim to an inheritance.]

Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Choose the Right Synonym for legitimate

Adjective

LAWFUL, LEGAL, LEGITIMATE, LICIT 

mean being in accordance with law. 

LAWFUL may apply to conformity with law of any sort 

(such as natural, divine, common, or canon).  

the lawful sovereign  

LEGAL applies to what is sanctioned by law 

or in conformity with the law, 

especially as it is written or administered by the courts. 

legal residents of the state 

LEGITIMATE may apply to a legal right or status 

but also, in extended use, to a right or status 

supported by tradition, custom, or accepted standards.  

a perfectly legitimate question about taxes  

LICIT applies to a strict conformity to 

the provisions of the law and applies 

especially to what is regulated by law.  

the licit use of drugs by doctors 

 

Collins COBUILD English Usage

Legal – Lawful – legitimate

 

1. 'legal' and 'lawful'

Legal and Lawful both mean 'allowed by law'. 

Lawful is a formal word.

A breath test showed he had drunk more than twice the legal limit for driving.

Capital punishment is legal in many countries.

Hunting is a lawful activity.

All his activities had been perfectly lawful.

 

2. 'legitimate'

Legitimate means 

'correct or acceptable according to a law or rule'.

...a legitimate business transaction.

Legitimate can also mean 'justifiable under the circumstances'.

Religious leaders have a legitimate reason to be concerned.

If someone is legitimate, their parents were married at the time they were born.

...evidence that he was his father's legitimate son.

 

3. another meaning of 'legal'

Legal also means 'relating to the law'. You cannot use lawful or legitimate with this meaning.

...the British legal system.

...legal language.

4. 'law' in front of nouns

You use law, not 'legal', in front of a noun 

when you are talking about someone 

or something connected with the study of law.

...a law student.

He had only just received his law degree.

 

Law also appears in the names of some places 

and institutions connected with the law.

...the Law Courts.

...the Law Society.

 

Dictionary of Problem Words and Expression

Illegitimate – legitimate

Illegitimate means “illegal” and 

legitimate means the precise opposite, “legal” (see Illegal)

Illegitimate also has these specialized meanings: 

(1) “born out of wedlock (born a bastard)”; 

(2) “irregular” (an Illegitimate forward pass); 

(3) “invalid” (a logically Illegitimate conclusion).

 

Legitimate is the anonym of Illegitimate 

in each of these three meaning 

and is also used to mean “rightful” (a legitimate sovereign); “genuine” (a legitimate claim); 

and “pertaining to professionally produced stage plays” 

(the legitimate theater), 

as opposed to radio, television, films, 

and other forms of entertainment.