noun
- the state or condition of being born to parents who are not married to each other
Usage: legal; formal
Examples
- The legal concept of bastardy has largely disappeared from modern family law.
- Historical records often noted cases of bastardy in parish registers.
- Laws regarding bastardy varied significantly between different jurisdictions.
- The stigma associated with bastardy has diminished considerably in contemporary society.
- Medieval inheritance laws frequently addressed issues of bastardy.
- Court proceedings sometimes involved disputes over claims of bastardy.