Legal Definitions - legitimus

Definition: Legitimus (lə-jit-ə-məs) is a Latin term used in Roman law to describe a person who is legitimate or lawful.

• A child born to married parents is considered legitimus.
• Only a legitimus heir can inherit property according to Roman law.

The examples illustrate that legitimus refers to a person who is born to married parents and is therefore considered legitimate. Legitimus is also used to describe an heir who has a lawful claim to inherit property.