Etymology: French légitime, from Middle French, from Medieval Latin legitima, from Latin, feminine of legitimus legitimate
: the portion of an estate usually including both real and personal property reserved to the children and sometimes other heirs upon the death of the father under Roman, civil, and Scots law — compare dead's part, reasonable part
* * *
/lej"i tim/, n. Roman and Civil Law, Scots Law.
the part of an estate that children or other close relatives can claim against the decedent's testament. Also, legitime /li jit"euh mee'/.
[1350-1400; ME < L legitima (pars) the lawful (part), equiv. to legi- (s. of lex law) + -tima, fem. of -timus adj. suffix]
* * *
legitim /lejˈi-tim/ (Scots law)
noun
That which children are entitled to out of a deceased father's moveable estate (also called bairn's-part)
ORIGIN: L lēgitima (pars) lawful (part), from lēx law
* * *
legitimsee legitime.
Useful english dictionary. 2012.