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Valid vs Legitimate - What's the difference?

valid | legitimate |

As adjectives the difference between valid and legitimate

is that valid is well grounded or justifiable, pertinent while legitimate is in accordance with the law or established legal forms and requirements; lawful.

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.

valid

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Well grounded or justifiable, pertinent.
  • *{{quote-magazine, year=2012, month=March-April
  • , author=(Jan Sapp) , title=Race Finished , volume=100, issue=2, page=164 , magazine=(American Scientist) citation , passage=Few concepts are as emotionally charged as that of race. The word conjures up a mixture of associations—culture, ethnicity, genetics, subjugation, exclusion and persecution. But is the tragic history of efforts to define groups of people by race really a matter of the misuse of science, the abuse of a valid biological concept?}}
    I will believe him as soon as he offers a valid answer.
  • Acceptable, proper or correct.
  • A valid format for the date is MM/DD/YY.
    Do not drive without a valid license.
  • Related to the current topic, or presented within context, relevant.
  • (logic) Of a formula or system: such that it evaluates to true regardless of the input values.
  • (logic) Of an argument: whose conclusion is always true whenever its premises are true.
  • An argument is valid if and only if the set consisting of both (1) all of its premises and (2) the contradictory of its conclusion is inconsistent.

    Antonyms

    * invalid

    Hyponyms

    * sound

    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