Word: illegitimate

Associations

"Illegitimate" often means something that is not recognized as valid or lawful. It can refer to anything from a child born outside of marriage to a situation or claim that is not accepted by law or authority.

• In legal terms, a child may be called "illegitimate" if they are born to parents who are not married. This can affect their rights and status.
• A business may be deemed "illegitimate" if it operates without proper licenses or does not follow the law. This is important for maintaining trust in commercial practices.
• A claim to a throne can be called "illegitimate" if the person making the claim does not have the lawful right to do so. This can create disputes in royal families.

The most common synonym for "illegitimate" is "unlawful." However, "unlawful" mainly refers to activities against the law, whereas "illegitimate" has broader meanings, including social and moral implications.

Substitution

In case you want to use different words, consider:

• "Unlawful" – focuses more on legal contexts.
• "Invalid" – means not valid but is often used in different contexts, such as documents or claims.
• "Spurious" – means not genuine or authentic, often used for objects or claims that falsely appear to be real.

Deconstruction

The word "illegitimate" has two parts:

• "Il-" is a prefix meaning not or opposite of (from Latin).
• "Legitimate" comes from the Latin "legitimus," meaning lawful or in accordance with the law. The combination indicates something that is not lawful or not accepted as valid.

Inquiry

• Think of a time you have seen something deemed "illegitimate." What was it, and how did it affect the people involved?
• Can you think of examples in history where claims were made to legitimacy, and what were the outcomes?
• How do you feel about the social implications of labeling something as "illegitimate"?