1 misbegotten | Definition of misbegotten
Logo
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

misbegotten

adjective
mis·​be·​got·​ten | \ ˌmis-bi-ˈgä-tᵊn How to pronounce misbegotten (audio) \

Definition of misbegotten

1 : unlawfully conceived : illegitimate a misbegotten child
2a : having a disreputable or improper origin : ill-conceived antiquated and misbegotten tax laws— R. M. Blough
b : contemptible, deformed a misbegotten scoundrel
Synonyms & Antonyms Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about misbegotten

Keep scrolling for more

Did You Know?

In the beginning, there was bigietan, and bigietan begot beyeten; then in the days of Middle English beyeten begot begeten, and from thence sprung misbegotten. That description may be a bit flowery, but it accurately traces the path that led to misbegotten. All of the Old English and Middle English ancestors listed above basically meant the same thing as the modern beget-that is, "to father" or "to produce as an effect or outgrowth." That linguistic line brought forth misbegotten by adding the prefix mis- (meaning "wrong," "bad," or "not") in the mid-1500s.

Examples of misbegotten in a Sentence

a misbegotten child who never knew his father

Recent Examples on the Web

 That 'rubbish' revolves around the misbegotten players who have worn it in the past, including Khalid Boulahrouz, Franco Di Santo, Radamel Falcao, Steve Sidwell and more recently Gonzalo Higuain and Alvaro Morata. — SI.com, "Tammy Abraham Relishes Wearing 'Cursed' Number 9 Shirt at Chelsea," 24 July 2019 The city, in pursuit of progressive values, has made the San Francisco tax code a misbegotten hodgepodge of financial chicanery. — Owen Thomas, SFChronicle.com, "San Francisco, why are you so taxing?," 19 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'misbegotten.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

See More

First Known Use of misbegotten

1546, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Keep scrolling for more

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for misbegotten

misbegotten

adjective
How to pronounce misbegotten (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of misbegotten

formal : badly planned or thought out

See the full definition for misbegotten in the English Language Learners Dictionary

Keep scrolling for more

More from Merriam-Webster on misbegotten

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with misbegotten

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for misbegotten

Spanish Central: Translation of misbegotten

Nglish: Translation of misbegotten for Spanish Speakers

WORD OF THE DAY

See Definitions and Examples

Get Word of the Day daily email!

×

You're never
too cool to learn something new.

Sign up for our Word of the Day
daily newsletter!

No thanks, maybe later.