illegitimately
UK[ˌɪlɪˈdʒɪtɪmətli]US[ˌɪlɪˈdʒɪtəmətli]
adv
in a manner that is not authorized by law or rules
adv
in a manner that is born of parents not married to each other
Morpheme Breakdown
il
legitim
ate
ly
il
not
legitim
lawful
ate
adjective suffix
ly
adverb suffix
Etymology
the word 'illegitimately' is built upon the latin adjective 'legitimus', meaning 'lawful' or 'according to law', which itself derives from 'lex' (law). the negative prefix 'il-', a variant of 'in-' used before 'l', negates the core meaning. the suffix '-ate' was added to form the adjective 'illegitimate', denoting the state of being not lawful. finally, the old english adverbial suffix '-ly' was appended to describe the manner of an action. thus, the term evolved from a concrete legal concept concerning birthright and status to a broader abstract sense describing any action performed without proper authority or justification.
Analysis
Structure: il (not) + legitim (lawful) + ate (adjective suffix) + ly (adverb suffix)
il- (prefix, latin origin, meaning 'not'); legitim (root, latin 'legitimus', meaning 'lawful'); -ate (suffix, latin '-atus', forms adjectives meaning 'having the quality of'); -ly (suffix, old english '-lice', forms adverbs meaning 'in a manner')
Examples
the company was accused of operating illegitimately in several countries.
he claimed the throne illegitimately, without the support of the council.
the data was obtained illegitimately and could not be used as evidence.