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Legitimate vs Eligible - What's the difference?

legitimate | eligible |

As adjectives the difference between legitimate and eligible

is that legitimate is in accordance with the law or established legal forms and requirements; lawful while eligible is suitable; meeting the conditions; worthy of being chosen; allowed to do something.

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.

As a noun eligible is

one who is eligible.

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

    External links

    * ----

    eligible

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Suitable; meeting the conditions; worthy of being chosen; allowed to do something.

    • Usage notes

    Used in the phrase (eligible bachelor) to mean “desirable male”, the corresponding term for a woman is nubile.

    Related terms

    * eligibility * eligibly * elite * choosable * licensed

    Synonyms

    * qualified

    Antonyms

    * ineligible * unqualified

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • One who is eligible.
  • * {{quote-news, year=2007, date=October 3, author=Diane Ravitch, title=Get Congress Out of the Classroom, work=New York Times citation
    • , passage=Federal agencies report that only about 1 percent of eligible students take advantage of switching schools and fewer than 20 percent of eligibles receive extra tutoring.}}