illegitimately-gained
|il-le-git-i-mate-ly-gained|
🇺🇸
/ˌɪlɪˈdʒɪtəmətli ɡeɪnd/
🇬🇧
/ˌɪlɪˈdʒɪtɪmətli ɡeɪnd/
unlawfully obtained
Etymology
'illegitimately-gained' originates from the combination of 'illegitimate' and 'gain', where 'illegitimate' comes from Latin 'illegitimus', meaning 'not lawful', and 'gain' from Old French 'gaigner', meaning 'to earn'.
'illegitimately-gained' combines the adjective 'illegitimate' with the past participle 'gained', forming a compound adjective.
Initially, 'illegitimate' meant 'not lawful', and 'gain' meant 'to earn'. Together, they describe something obtained unlawfully.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
obtained in a manner that is not legitimate or lawful.
The company was accused of having illegitimately-gained profits.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/05/08 08:03