love-begotten

love-begotten

A child born out of wedlock is often called love-begotten.

Definition
  1. Adjective:
    • Born out of wedlock: "love-begotten" describes a child conceived or born from a romantic relationship outside of formal marriage, often implying the child is illegitimate or born to unmarried parents.
Usage Examples
  • Adjective:
    • The medieval ballad told the story of a love-begotten prince who was hidden from the court. (A prince born from a romantic union outside of marriage.)
    • In some societies, love-begotten children faced social stigma. (Children born to unmarried parents.)
Advanced Usage

  • "Love-begotten child": a child whose parents were not married at the time of conception or birth.

    • The novel explores the life of a love-begotten daughter struggling for acceptance. (A daughter born out of wedlock.)

  • "Love-begotten union": a relationship that produces children outside of legal marriage.

    • The village whispered about the love-begotten union between the farmer and the merchant's daughter. (A romantic relationship resulting in illegitimate offspring.)
Variants and Related Words

  • Begotten (adj): the past participle of "beget," meaning to have given birth to or produced.

    • The only begotten son of the king was the heir to the throne. (The son produced by the king.)

  • Love-child (n): a euphemistic term for a child born out of wedlock.

    • She was known as the love-child of the famous actress. (A child born to unmarried parents.)
Synonyms
  • Illegitimate: born to parents not legally married.
  • Bastard: an archaic or offensive term for a child born out of wedlock.
  • Natural-born: a historical term for a child born to unmarried parents.
  • Out-of-wedlock: born to parents who are not married.
Related Idioms

  • Born on the wrong side of the blanket: an old-fashioned idiom meaning born to unmarried parents.

    • He was rumored to have been born on the wrong side of the blanket. (He was illegitimate.)

  • A child of love: a poetic or euphemistic phrase for a child born from a romantic relationship outside of marriage.

    • The poet described the baby as a child of love, not of law. (A child born from love, not from legal marriage.)