What does "bastardize" mean?

To claim or demonstrate that someone is a bastard, or illegitimate.

What is a synonym for "bastardize"?

Common synonyms include: abase, adulter, adulterate, adulterate, adulterize, alloy.

//ˈbæstɚdaɪz// verb

verb ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Verb

1
To claim or demonstrate that someone is a bastard, or illegitimate.
"Our law is so indulgent as not to bastardize the child, if it be born, though not begotten, in lawful wedlock."
2
declare a child to be illegitimate wordnet
3
To reduce from a higher to a lower state, such as by removing refined elements or introducing debased elements; to debase.
"The simplified word processor is a less-functional, bastardized version of the full program."
4
change something so that its value declines; for example, art forms wordnet
5
To beget out of wedlock.
"I should / have been that I am, had the maidenliest star in the / firmament twinkled on my bastardizing."

"Our law is so indulgent as not to bastardize the child, if it be born, though not begotten, in lawful wedlock."

From bastard + -ize.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.