To make someone illegitimate or to lower the status or honor of something through corruption or degradation.
From the prefix 'em-' (meaning to cause to be) combined with 'bastard,' which comes from Old French, with the suffix '-ize' (meaning to make or cause). The word literally means 'to make a bastard of.'
This harsh word reveals how medieval societies obsessed over legitimacy—a child's legal status determined everything from inheritance to social standing, so 'embastardize' was a genuinely serious accusation that could destroy families.
The term 'bastard' historically carried heavier social penalty for children of unmarried women, with fathers bearing lesser stigma. Laws and language encoded this asymmetry.
Use only in historical context or neutral legal sense (illegitimate birth status). Avoid as insult or moral judgment.
["illegitimate (legal/historical context only)","born outside wedlock"]
Women bore disproportionate shame for nonmarital childbearing; recognizing this bias helps avoid perpetuating gendered moral judgment.
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