misbegot

Thân thiện

A misbegot child was often hidden from society in past eras.

Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Illegitimate by birth; born to parents not married to each other: The primary meaning describes a person whose biological parents were not lawfully married at the time of their birth.
   • Of questionable origin or legitimacy; improperly conceived: This sense extends to things that are considered dubious, irregular, or not properly founded.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • The old king's misbegot son had no legal claim to the throne. (The king's son, born outside of marriage, had no legal right to inherit.)
  • The historian dismissed the theory as a misbegot idea with no factual basis. (The historian rejected the theory as an ill-conceived notion.)
  • He inherited a misbegot fortune, rumored to have been acquired through deceit. (He inherited a fortune of dubious or illegitimate origin.)

Advanced Usage

• Legal/Historical Context: Traditionally used in legal and historical texts to describe lineage and inheritance rights, often carrying a strong social stigma.
  • The law at the time barred any misbegot child from inheriting the family title.
• Figurative Use: Applied to abstract concepts like plans, ideas, or projects to imply they are badly conceived or doomed from the start.
  • The entire venture was a misbegot scheme that collapsed within months.

Variants and Related Words

• Misbegotten (adj): The more common and standard form of the adjective with the same meanings.
  • The plan was a misbegotten attempt to solve the problem.
• Bastard (n/adj): A direct, often offensive synonym for a person born out of wedlock. "Misbegot" is a more formal or archaic equivalent.

Synonyms

• Illegitimate: Not authorized by the law; not in accordance with accepted standards or rules, especially concerning birth.
• Spurious: Not being what it purports to be; false or fake. (As used in the reference context: "spurious or doubtful offspring").
• Illicit: Forbidden by law, rules, or custom.

Related Phrases and Idioms

• Misbegotten gains: Wealth or advantages acquired through improper or dishonest means.
  • He vowed never to profit from misbegotten gains.
• A misbegotten notion: A foolish or ill-advised idea.
  • Trying to fix the engine with tape was a misbegotten notion from the start.

Học thuật

Adjective

1. born out of wedlock
   • the dominions of both rulers passed away to their spurious or doubtful offspring- E.A.Freeman

Từ đồng nghĩa

• bastardly
• misbegotten
• spurious