legitimize

verb

le·​git·​i·​mize li-ˈji-tə-ˌmīz How to pronounce legitimize (audio)
legitimized; legitimizing
legitimization noun
legitimizer noun

Examples of legitimize in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Gods have been especially helpful in this task of corralling the manual labor of the people and legitimizing it symbolically. Vanessa Taylor, Big Think, 25 Sep. 2025 This pledge erases dissenting Israeli voices, legitimizes falsehoods, and shields Hamas from blame. Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 25 Sep. 2025 Parcells legitimized the franchise upon his arrival as a Super Bowl-winning coach in 1993 and took the Patriots to the playoffs in two of his four seasons. Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 21 Sep. 2025 Notably, numerous high-profile cable news has-beens have legitimized Owens' outrageous laundering of a left-wing political assassination into an anti-Semitic caper. Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for legitimize

Word History

First Known Use

1646, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of legitimize was in 1646

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Legitimize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/legitimize. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

legitimize

verb
le·​git·​i·​mize li-ˈjit-ə-ˌmīz How to pronounce legitimize (audio)
legitimized; legitimizing

Legal Definition

legitimize

transitive verb
le·​git·​i·​mize lə-ˈji-tə-ˌmīz How to pronounce legitimize (audio)
legitimized; legitimizing

More from Merriam-Webster on legitimize

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