LEGITIMATELY

legitimately

(adverb) in a lawfully recognized manner; “let’s get married so our child can be born legitimately”

legitimately, lawfully, licitly

(adverb) in a manner acceptable to common custom; “you cannot do this legitimately!”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Adverb

legitimately (comparative more legitimately, superlative most legitimately)

In a legitimate manner, properly.

Source: Wiktionary

Le*git"i*mate*ly, adv.

Definition: In a legitimate manner; lawfully; genuinely.

LEGITIMATE

Le*git"i*mate, a. Etym: [LL. legitimatus, p. p. of legitimare to legitimate, fr. L. legitimus legitimate. See Legal.]

1. Accordant with law or with established legal forms and requirements; lawful; as, legitimate government; legitimate rights; the legitimate succession to the throne; a legitimate proceeding of an officer; a legitimate heir.

2. Lawfully begotten; born in wedlock.

3. Authorized; real; genuine; not false, counterfeit, or spurious; as, legitimate poems of Chaucer; legitimate inscriptions.

4. Conforming to known principles, or accepted rules; as, legitimate reasoning; a legitimate standard, or method; a legitimate combination of colors. Tillotson still keeps his place as a legitimate English classic. Macaulay.

5. Following by logical sequence; reasonable; as, a legitimate result; a legitimate inference.

Le*git"i*mate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Legitimated; p. pr. & vb. n. Legitimating.]

Definition: To make legitimate, lawful, or valid; esp., to put in the position or state of a legitimate person before the law, by legal means; as, to legitimate a bastard child. To enact a statute of that which he dares not seem to approve, even to legitimate vice. Milton.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition