as in lawfulness
the quality or state of being legal
the legitimacy of the military dictatorship was not recognized by most other nations
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Recent Examples of legitimacy
After the report’s release, Herzog angrily dismissed it as suffering from a lack of legitimacy.
—
Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 8 Feb. 2026
Conflicting official accounts and the federal government’s refusal to submit the investigation to independent local oversight created a legitimacy crisis.
—Robert Pape, Chicago Tribune, 8 Feb. 2026
The easiest way to verify the legitimacy of a message is to either contact Amazon Customer Service directly, or verify the details of the claim by logging into your account online or on the app.
—Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 8 Feb. 2026
Every additional prompt erodes the entire practice’s legitimacy in customers’ minds.
—Ricardo Cici, Fortune, 8 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for legitimacy
Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 8 Feb. 2026
Conflicting official accounts and the federal government’s refusal to submit the investigation to independent local oversight created a legitimacy crisis.
—Robert Pape, Chicago Tribune, 8 Feb. 2026
The easiest way to verify the legitimacy of a message is to either contact Amazon Customer Service directly, or verify the details of the claim by logging into your account online or on the app.
—Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 8 Feb. 2026
Every additional prompt erodes the entire practice’s legitimacy in customers’ minds.
—Ricardo Cici, Fortune, 8 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for legitimacy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for legitimacy
Noun
-
The petitions are not contesting removal orders, only the lawfulness of detaining the noncitizen plaintiffs during those proceedings.—
Tasha Carvell,
Twin Cities,
3 Feb. 2026
-
The lawfulness of an order would be determined by a military judge.—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
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In the weeks since the Federal Bureau of Investigation raided an elections facility in Fulton County, Georgia, local and federal officials have clashed over the process and legality of the raid.—
Irene Wright,
USA Today,
10 Feb. 2026
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The legality of the strikes has come under intense scrutiny as the administration has publicly presented little evidence that those killed in the ongoing operations are affiliates of drug cartels or that each of the vessels had drugs on board.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Legitimacy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/legitimacy. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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