illegitimately

/ˌɪlɪˈdʒɪtɪmətli/
adverb
  1. In a way that is not allowed by the law or rules.
    • He claimed the election results were obtained illegitimately.
    • The company was accused of operating illegitimately to avoid taxes.
    • They entered the country illegitimately and were later deported.
  2. In a way that is not fair, honest, or morally acceptable.
    • She felt the promotion was given illegitimately to someone less qualified.
    • He illegitimately claimed credit for work done by his team.
    • The charity was shut down for using donations illegitimately.
  3. In a way that is not based on logical reasoning or valid evidence.
    • His conclusion was illegitimately drawn from incomplete data.
    • The argument illegitimately assumes that correlation proves causation.
    • The theory was illegitimately used to justify discrimination.
What does "illegitimately" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean