legitimacy
UK[lɪˈdʒɪtɪməsi]US[lɪˈdʒɪtɪməsi]
n
the quality of being legal, acceptable, or justified according to established rules or principles.
n
the state of being born to parents who are legally married to each other.
Morpheme Breakdown
legitim
acy
legitim
lawful
acy
state or quality
Etymology
the word 'legitimacy' traces its lineage directly to the latin adjective legitimus, meaning 'lawful' or 'in accordance with the law'. this adjective is derived from lex, legis (law), a term of ancient and weighty authority in roman society. entering english via old french in the medieval period, the core concept evolved from its original, narrow legal sense concerning lawful birth to encompass a broader, more abstract principle. today, it signifies the quality of being in proper accordance with accepted rules, standards, or beliefs, whether in law, politics, or general social acceptance, thus carrying forward the fundamental link between lawfulness and perceived validity.
Analysis
Structure: legitim (lawful) + acy (state or quality)
legitim (from latin legitimus, meaning 'lawful', itself from lex, legis meaning 'law'); acy (a noun-forming suffix of latin origin via french, denoting a state, condition, or quality).
Examples
the election was conducted fairly, which strengthened the new government's legitimacy.
many questioned the legitimacy of the company's environmental claims.
historically, laws of succession were concerned with the legitimacy of the heir.