illegitimate

This word carries a heavy weight of social and legal judgment. When applied to people, it evokes a historical sense of exclusion and stigma, though in modern contexts it is often replaced by softer terms to avoid offense. It suggests a fundamental lack of right or claim to a position. In a political or professional sense, it describes a lack of authenticity or mandate. It is used to describe power that was seized through deception or force rather than through a fair and recognized process, creating a feeling of instability or fraudulence.