Synonyms of legitimacy

legitimacy

noun

li-ˈji-tə-mə-sē 

as in lawfulness

the quality or state of being legal

the legitimacy of the military dictatorship was not recognized by most other nations

Synonyms & Similar Words

• lawfulness
• legality
• rightfulness
• rightness
• permissibility
• permissibleness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• illegality
• illegitimacy
• unlawfulness
• wrongfulness
• immorality
• wickedness
• wrongness
• badness
• sinfulness
• criminality
• iniquity
• unconstitutionality
• unjustness
• iniquitousness

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of legitimacy

The theory was developed several years ago but has gained legitimacy as AI has achieved greater scale and prominence in industry and society. — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 10 Aug. 2026

President Min Aung Hlaing, the former army chief who had originally seized power in 2021 from Suu Kyi’s civilian government, has been trying to win political legitimacy since the takeover and resume relations with ASEAN. — ABC News, 9 Aug. 2026

The government did not, and instead cast doubt on the legitimacy of lawyers' work. — Sarah Matusek, Christian Science Monitor, 6 Aug. 2026

Malcolm noted, however, that Paul himself has previously questioned the legitimacy of the pardon for Fauci because it was allegedly signed with an autopen. — Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 6 Aug. 2026