Lawful birth; the condition of being born in wedlock; the opposite of illegitimacy or bastardy.
Law Dictionary – Alternative Legal Definition
The state of being born in wedlock; that is, in a lawful manner. 2. Marriage is considered by all civilized nations as the only source of legitimacy; the qualities of husband and wife must be possessed by the parents in order to make the offspring legitimate; and furthermore the marriage must be lawful, for if it is void ab initio, the children who may be the offspring of such marriage are not legitimat