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Legitimate vs Allowable - What's the difference?

legitimate | allowable |

As adjectives the difference between legitimate and allowable

is that legitimate is in accordance with the law or established legal forms and requirements; lawful while allowable is appropriate; satisfactory; acceptable.

As a verb legitimate

is to make legitimate, lawful, or valid; especially, to put in the position or state of a legitimate person before the law, by legal means.

legitimate

English

Etymology 1

From . Originally "lawfully begotten," from (etyl) legitimer and directly from

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • In accordance with the law or established legal forms and requirements; lawful.
  • *
  • Conforming to known principles, or established or accepted rules or standards; valid.
  • legitimate''' reasoning; a '''legitimate standard or method
  • * (rfdate) Macaulay
  • Tillotson still keeps his place as a legitimate English classic.
  • Authentic, real, genuine.
  • legitimate''' poems of Chaucer; '''legitimate inscriptions
  • (senseid)Lawfully begotten, i.e., born to a legally married couple.
  • Relating to hereditary rights.
  • Synonyms
    (checksyns) * lawful, legal, rightful
    Antonyms
    * illegitimate, false

    Etymology 2

    Legal Latin, from legitimatus, past participle of (legitimo). See above for antecedents

    Verb

    (legitimat)
  • To make legitimate, lawful, or valid; especially, to put in the position or state of a legitimate person before the law, by legal means.
  • Usage notes
    * Forms of (legitimize) are about twice as common as forms of the verb legitimate in the US. * Forms of legitimate are somewhat more common than the forms of the verbs (legitimize) and (legitimise) in the UK combined.
    Synonyms
    * legitimize
    Derived terms
    * delegitimate

    allowable

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Appropriate; satisfactory; acceptable.
  • Intellectually admissible; valid; probable.
  • Able to be added or deducted in consideration of something.
  • Permissible; tolerable; legitimate.
  • (obsolete) Praiseworthy.
  • Synonyms

    * (permissible) leveful

    Derived terms

    * allowableness * allowably