Le-gĭt'i-ma-cy, n.

n. [Fr. légitimité, Sp. legitimidad, It. legittimità, L. Lat. legitimitas. See infra.]

1. Accordance with law.
2. Lawfulness of birth; — opposed to bastardy.
3. Genuineness, or reality; opposed to spuriousness.
4. Regular sequence or deduction; logical sequence or validity; as, the legitimacy of a conclusion.
5. The accordance of an action or institution with established law; as, the legitimacy of a measure or government.