legitimate

Defined in 7 dictionaries — Case Law, Cyclopedic (1922), Ballentine's (1916), Bouvier (1914), Black's (1910), Kinney (1893), Black's (1891)

Definitions from Case Law

From 463 U.S. 680 - Ruckelshaus v. Sierra Club · 1983Most cited · 1,697 citing opinions

being exactly as proposed: neither spurious nor false," which does not describe respondents' claims in this case.

Show all 3 Supreme Court definitions and how they changed over time 1983–2022

The Cyclopedic Law Dictionary

Walter A. Shumaker and George Foster Longsdorf; ed. James C. Cahill · 1922

That which is according to law; as, legitimate children are lawful children, born in wedlock, in contradistinction to bastards; legitimate authority, or lawful power, in opposition to usurpation.

Ballentine's Law Dictionary

James A. Ballentine · 1916

Lawful; to make lawful; to legalize; to render legitimate. See 86 Tenn. 459, 7 S. W. 194.

Bouvier's Law Dictionary and Concise Encyclopedia

John Bouvier; revised by Francis Rawle · 1914

That which is according to law. To make lawful; to confer legitimacy; to place a child born before marriage on the same footing as those born in lawful wedlock; Town of Rockingham v. Town of Mount Holly, 26 Vt. 653. -

Black's Law Dictionary

Henry Campbell Black, M.A. · 1910

adj. That which is lawful, legal, recognized by law or according to law; as legitimate children, legitimate authority or lawful power. Wilson v. Babb, 18 S. C. 69; Gates v. Seibert, 157 Mo. 254, 57 S. W. 1065, 80 Am. St. Rep. 625.

A Law Dictionary and Glossary

George C. Kinney · 1893

Lawfully born; born in lawful wedlock.

A Dictionary of Law

Henry Campbell Black · 1891

2. To make lawful; to confer legitimacy; to place a child born be fore marriage on the footing of tliose born in lawful wedlock. 26 Vt. 653, 657, 658.