legitimateness

[Eng. legitimate:-ne .] The quality or state of being legitimate; legality; lawfulne ; legitimacy. "A erting the legitimatene of his ordination." Barrow: Of the Pope's Supremacy . *le-git-i-mation, s. [Fr.. from Lat. legitim at us , pa. par. of legitimo =to legitimate (q. v.); Sp. legit i macion ; Ital. legitim azione .] 1. The act of making lawful, legal, or legitimate; the act of giving anything the sanction of law. 2. The act of rendering or declaring legitimate; the act of giving to one born illegitimate the rights and privileges of a legitimate child. 3. Legitimacy; lawful birth. "I have disclaimed my land. Legitimation, name, and all is gone." Shakesp.: King John 1. Legitimation by subsequent marriage: Law : A provision made by Canon Law and by the Civil Law of Protestant and Catholic countries, and by statute in some states of the Union, that the marriage of the father and mother of illegitimate children should confer on such offspring the status of children born in wedlock. The only condition is, that at the time of the conception or birth of such offspring both parties should have been free to marry. By the Constitutions of Merton (A. D. 1236) it was decided that no such provision existed in the Common Law of England.