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Legitimate vs Illicit - What's the difference?

legitimate | illicit |

As adjectives the difference between legitimate and illicit

is that legitimate is in accordance with the law or established legal forms and requirements; lawful while illicit is not approved by law, but not invalid.

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

    External links

    * ----

    illicit

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • (legal) Not approved by law, but not invalid.
    • The bigamous marriage, while illicit, was not invalid.
  • * {{quote-book
    • , date = 2008-01-08 , title = Memo to the President Elect: How We Can Restore America's Reputation and Leadership , first = Madeleine , last = Albright , authorlink = Madeleine Albright , location = New York , publisher = HarperCollins , isbn = 9780061351808 , ol = 9952500M , page = 225 , passage = Such migrants may violate our laws against illicit entry, but if that's all they do then they are trespassers, not criminals. }}
  • Breaking social norms.
  • * {{quote-book
    • , year = 1993 , title = Diaries: In Power 1983-1992 , first = Alan , last = Clark , authorlink = Alan Clark , location = London , publisher = Weidenfeld and Nicholson , isbn = 0297813528 , ol = 1046930M , passage = I only can properly enjoy carol services if I am having an illicit affair with someone in the congregation. }}
  • Unlawful.
  • * {{quote-book
    • , date = 2010-07-29 , title = (The Dervish House) , first = Ian , last = McDonald , authorlink = Ian McDonald (British author) , isbn = 9780575089044 , ol = 25418126M , url = http://books.google.com/books?id=-rgZys-M4q4C&pg=PT328&dq=illicit , passage = Ay?e Erkoç learned long ago that the secret of doing anything illicit in Istanbul is to do it in full public gaze in the clear light of day. No one ever questions the legitimacy of the blatant. }}

    Usage notes

    Licit and valid are legal terms to be compared, especially in terms of canon law. With bigamy, if there is an innocent party, the innocent party is validly married; the problem is with the guilty party, who has entered into an illegal second marriage without first divorcing the earlier spouse. The marriage is valid in canon law (and often, civil law), but the guilty party goes to jail nonetheless, in that the marriage is illicit (and illegal), and the innocent party routinely receives a fast annulment and the full sympathy of the court. A corollary is that the children born of such unions are inherently legitimate.

    Synonyms

    * criminal * illegal * illegitimate * prohibited * unlawful