legitim
legitimate
Som följer lagar och regler, eller som är rätt och godkänd.
Definition & meaning
Legitim is a Swedish adjective meaning legitimate, lawful, valid, or justified.
It can have several related meanings:
-
Legally valid or authorized
Something is accepted according to the law, rules, or established authority.- en legitim regering — a legitimate government
- legitima krav — legitimate demands
-
Reasonable or justified
A feeling, concern, criticism, or action is understandable and well-founded.- en legitim oro — a legitimate concern
- legitim kritik — justified criticism
-
Genuine or officially recognized
In some contexts, it can describe something as authentic or properly recognized, rather than false or unauthorized.- en legitim arvinge — a legitimate heir
The word can sometimes refer historically or formally to a child born within a legally recognized marriage, although this usage is old-fashioned and is generally avoided in modern Swedish.
Grammar & Word origin
Legitim is an adjective.
- Common gender: legitim
- en legitim anledning — a legitimate reason
- Neuter: legitimt
- ett legitimt krav — a legitimate demand
- Plural and definite form: legitima
- legitima skäl — legitimate reasons
- den legitima regeringen — the legitimate government
The word comes from Latin legitimus, meaning “lawful” or “according to law,” derived from lex, “law.”
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonyms
- laglig — legal; focuses specifically on conformity with the law.
- giltig — valid; commonly used for documents, tickets, agreements, or arguments.
- berättigad — justified or warranted; emphasizes that something is reasonable or deserved.
- befogad — well-founded; often used about fears, concerns, or criticism.
- rättmätig — rightful or lawful; often has a more formal tone.
- äkta — genuine or authentic; this overlaps with legitim only when the meaning is “real” or “recognized,” not when it means legally valid.
Antonyms
- olaglig — illegal; directly contrasts with the legal meaning.
- illegitim — illegitimate or unauthorized; the closest general antonym.
- ogiltig — invalid; used for something that has no legal or practical validity.
- obefogad — unjustified or unfounded; contrasts with the meaning “reasonable” or “well-founded.”
- falsk — false or fraudulent; contrasts with the meaning “genuine,” but is not an antonym in every context.
Common phrases & collocations
- legitim anledning — legitimate reason
- legitima krav — legitimate demands
- legitim oro — legitimate concern
- legitim kritik — justified criticism
- legitim makt — legitimate authority or power
- legitim regering — legitimate government
- legitimt intresse — legitimate interest
- legitim förväntan — legitimate expectation
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Examples
Det är en legitim fråga att ställa.adjective
That is a legitimate question to ask.
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