legit
Legit means genuine, trustworthy or impressive, as in "is this site legit?". It also means "really", as in "I legit cried". Both uses are casual and friendly.
By Cal Hewitt, Gen X · Researched from public sources · ·
What it means
Legit does two jobs, and where it sits in the sentence tells you which. Attached to a person, a thing or a claim, it is an adjective meaning genuine, valid or safe to trust: "is this seller legit?" asks whether you can buy from them without getting scammed. Collins gives the example "I checked him out, he's legit." The same adjective also works as praise, so "that concert was legit" is a compliment to the show. Dictionary.com's history of slang for cool says that in the 2010s legit was a synonym for cool. In front of a verb or a whole statement, legit is an adverb meaning "really". "I legit cried" is just "I really cried", said with some force, and it says nothing about anything being lawful or authentic. Collins labels this adverb slang, with the example "We legit almost got into a fist fight." This is the use most likely to look odd to someone who only knows legitimate. The tone is almost always friendly or neutral. Calling someone legit is a compliment, and asking whether a site is legit is plain caution. "He's not legit" is a real knock on someone's honesty or credentials, so it lands as criticism. "Seems legit" is the one phrase that swings both ways: sincere about a normal-looking receipt, dry sarcasm about an email asking for gift cards to release a lottery prize. Collins labels the adjective informal, so at work use "legitimate" or "verified" instead, and drop the adverb.
See the quick definition in the legit dictionary entry.
How to use it
“is this site legit or is it a scam”
The trust sense. The sender wants to know if the site is safe to buy from.
“i legit cried at the end”
The adverb. It means "I really cried", with emphasis.
“that taco place is legit”
Praise for the food.
“"you won a free iphone, click here" seems legit”
Sarcasm. The sender is pointing out that the message is obviously a scam.
Where it came from
Legit is a clipping of legitimate. The Online Etymology Dictionary dates the short form to 1897, originally in theater, in reference to "legitimate drama"; Dictionary.com's British entry defines that noun sense as legitimate or professionally respectable drama. Dictionary.com gives the first recorded date as 1905 to 1910. Legitimate itself goes back through Old French and Medieval Latin to Latin legitimus, "lawful", and Etymonline records its "genuine, real" sense from the 1550s. No single coiner is documented.
The theater sense survives in its own corner. Dictionary.com still lists legit as a noun for the legitimate stage, and as an adjective for a singing voice trained in a classical or operatic tradition.
The phrase most people link to the word arrived much later. MC Hammer's album Too Legit to Quit came out on October 29, 1991, with the track "2 Legit 2 Quit", and the Los Angeles Times reported on November 15, 1991 that the album had reached No. 2 on the Billboard pop album chart. The record spread a phrase built on a word already almost a century old. By the 2010s, Dictionary.com says, legit was working as a synonym for cool.
No single person is credited, the origin is well-documented.
Where it's popular
General informal English in the US and the UK, in texts, group chats, reviews and comment sections. It is not tied to a region.
How it caught on
- 1550sThe Online Etymology Dictionary records legitimate in the sense "genuine, real".
- 1897The Online Etymology Dictionary dates legit, a short form of legitimate, originally from theater, in reference to legitimate drama.
- 1905 to 1910Dictionary.com gives this range as the first recorded date for legit.
- October 29, 1991MC Hammer releases the album Too Legit to Quit, with the track "2 Legit 2 Quit".
- November 15, 1991The Los Angeles Times reports the album has reached No. 2 on the Billboard pop album chart.
- 2010sDictionary.com says legit was a synonym for cool during this decade.
Test yourself
Which legit is it?
0/21. A friend texts "i legit forgot my keys again". What does legit mean here?
2. Where did legit start?
Related slang
Questions people ask
What does "legit" mean in slang?
It depends on what it describes: trustworthy, or impressive. "Is this site legit?" checks whether something is safe to trust, and "that show was legit" is praise. In front of a verb it means "really", as in "I legit forgot".
What does "legit" mean in chat?
In a text or a chat it often works as an adverb meaning "really", as in "we legit almost missed the bus". It adds emphasis to the statement. Attached to a person or a thing, it says the thing can be trusted or is good.
What does "legit person" mean?
Someone who can be trusted, or someone who is respected and good at what they do. "She's legit" usually means the speaker vouches for her. Said straight to you, "you're legit" is a compliment.
Is legit short for legitimate?
Yes. The Online Etymology Dictionary dates the short form to 1897, when it began in theater in reference to legitimate drama. Dictionary.com gives a first recorded date of 1905 to 1910.
Does "seems legit" mean it is real, or is it a joke?
Either, and the situation decides. About something normal, like a receipt or a booking confirmation, it is sincere agreement. About something plainly fishy, like a prize that needs gift cards to claim, it is sarcasm.
Is legit Gen Z slang?
Gen Z uses it, and so does everyone older. The word dates to 1897 in the Online Etymology Dictionary, MC Hammer put "Too Legit to Quit" on the charts in 1991, and Dictionary.com says legit meant cool in the 2010s. The "really" use, as in "I legit cried", is the one that sounds most current.
Legit started as theater slang: the Online Etymology Dictionary dates it to 1897, as a short form of "legitimate drama".
- https://www.etymonline.com/word/legit
- https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/legit
- https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/legit
- https://www.dictionary.com/browse/legit
- https://www.dictionary.com/articles/slang-for-cool
- https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-11-15-ca-1370-story.html
- https://music.apple.com/us/album/too-legit-to-quit/715954711
Get the weekly decode
Get this week's list as soon as you confirm: what Gen Z is actually saying, what moved up or down, and the new terms that are not in the dictionary yet. A fresh one every week after that.