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Glite Dictionary
👶 Born to married parents 🏙️ Native by birth
trueborn

trueborn

1 7.4
A person whose parents were married when they were born
  • adjective
  • /truːˈbɔrn/
  • Archaic
translation icon : legítimo
  • Only trueborn children inherit the family estate.

Examples

  • He was proud to be a trueborn citizen of the city.

  • In the past, only trueborn heirs could inherit the family estate.

  • The novel describes the struggles of a child who was not considered trueborn.

  • She is a trueborn citizen of France.

  • The nobleman announced that his eldest child would be his trueborn heir.

  • In the royal family, only the trueborn children have the right to the throne.

  • Since Sarah was raised in a loving home, she never thought less of her trueborn siblings.

Synonyms

lawfully-begotten
vstrueborn
  • Archaic
8.9

A child who is born to parents who are legally married

omits explicitly saying it applies to a child in its wording

Antonyms

illegitimate
  • Formal
39 6.1

A child or marriage not recognized by law because the parents were not married

How Legitimate

trueborn
  • Archaic
1 7.4
to legitimate
  • Formal
1 7.7
illegitimate
  • Formal
39 6.1

Surface Forms

trueborn positive

Morphology

trueborn = true + born (opaque) = true + born

The sense 'legitimate by birth' reflects a historical/idiomatic meaning of the compound that is not predictably derived from the literal components for most learners.

Etymology

Trueborn comes from the parts true ('right' or 'real') and born ('from birth'), and it was once used for a child born to married parents who could inherit the family. That's why trueborn came to mean a lawful or legitimate child.