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The state, or quality, of being legitimate, or in conformity with law; hence, the condition of having been lawfully begotten, or born in wedlock. The doctrine of Divine Right, which has now come back to us, like a thief from transportation, under the alias of Legitimacy. Macaulay.

To act habitually in conformity with; to practice. To live the Gospel. Foxe. To live down, to live so as to subdue or refute; as, to live down slander.

The supposed principles of Machiavel, or practice in conformity to them; political artifice, intended to favor arbitrary power.

Conformed to accepted rules of right; acting in conformity with such rules; virtuous; just; as, a moral man. Used sometimes in distinction from religious; as, a moral rather than a religious life. The wiser and more moral part of mankind. Sir M. Hale.

One who practices moral duties; a person who lives in conformity with moral rules; one of correct deportment and dealings with his fellow-creatures; -- sometimes used in contradistinction to one whose life is controlled by religious motives. The love (in the moralist of virtue, but in the Christian) of God himself. Ham…

The relation of conformity or nonconformity to the moral standard or rule; quality of an intention, a character, an action, a principle, or a sentiment, when tried by the standard of right. The morality of an action is founded in the freedom of that principle, by virtue of which it is in the agent's power, having all t…

Customs; habits; esp., customs conformity to which is more or less obligatory; customary law.

A state of nature; conformity to nature.

The state or quality of being natural; conformity to nature.

Conformity to that which is natural, as distinguished from that which is artifical, or forced, or remote from actual experience. One touch of nature makes the whole world kin. Shak.

A prefix used in the sense of not; un-; in-; as in nonattention, or non-attention, nonconformity, nonmetallic, nonsuit.

Not conforming; declining conformity; especially, not conforming to the established church of a country.

Conformity with law or decorum; freedom from disturbance; general tranquillity; public quiet; as, to preserve order in a community or an assembly.

Of, pertaining to, or in conformity with, the practice of Paracelsus, a Swiss physician of the 15th century. Ferrand.

Conformity continued through many particulars or in all essential points; resemblance; similarity. Twixt earthly females and the moon All parallels exactly run. Swift.

The quality or state of being precise; exact limitation; exactness; accuracy; strict conformity to a rule or a standard; definiteness. I have left out the utmost precisions of fractions. Locke.

The quality or state of being primitive; conformity to primitive style or practice.

Of or pertaining to Procrustes, or the mode of torture practiced by him; producing conformity by violent means; as, the Procrustean treatment; a Procrustean limit. See Procrustes.

Like a Protestant; in conformity with Protestantism. [R.] Milton.

ettifogger. "Some quirk or . . . evasion." Spenser. We ground the justification of our nonconformity on dark subtilties and intricate quirks. Barrow.