as in legal
permitted by law
the mistrust created among investors by the financial scandal has hurt even companies engaged in wholly legitimate business practices
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to legitimize
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of legitimate
Amira El-Fekki, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 July 2025
The only domestic organ that could have legitimated the strike is Congress, but it wasn’t even given the chance.
—Andreas Kluth, Mercury News, 28 June 2025
Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Oct. 2025
Fraudsters are good at creating websites that appear legitimate.
—Barbara White, Kansas City Star, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for legitimate
Adjective
Now, the political and operational initiative — with the right to legitimate defense — is held by the party that both knows how to play it smart and avoids indiscriminate fire.
—Amira El-Fekki, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 July 2025
The only domestic organ that could have legitimated the strike is Congress, but it wasn’t even given the chance.
—Andreas Kluth, Mercury News, 28 June 2025
Verb
During training camp, Blue emerged as a legitimate option in the running back room and was even earning first-team reps as early as the second week in pads in Oxnard.
—Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Oct. 2025
Fraudsters are good at creating websites that appear legitimate.
—Barbara White, Kansas City Star, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for legitimate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for legitimate
Adjective
-
Barton’s story bears a striking resemblance to the narrative outlined in Corcoran’s legal claim and suggests the franchise was enjoying demonstrable success at a time that could be critical to determining if and how much she is owed.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
31 Oct. 2025
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For most of modern American history, the only legal place to bet was Nevada, and that was seldom, if ever, the place cheaters chose to place their bets.—
David Hill,
Rolling Stone,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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While Stone’s abilities alone might legitimize extraterrestrial suspicions, there’s more to why Teddy has pinpointed Michelle.—
Jake Coyle,
Boston Herald,
24 Oct. 2025
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This was legitimized as a way to protect the country from further invasions – which the French were constantly threatening to do.—
Julia Gaffield,
The Conversation,
15 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The Republican administration favors Second Amendment rights, but government attorneys argued that this ban is a justifiable restriction.—
Boston Herald Wire Services,
Boston Herald,
21 Oct. 2025
-
Stand your ground laws and their complicated history Most stand your ground laws center around justifiable uses of force, according to Cynthia Godsoe, a professor of criminal law at Brooklyn Law School.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Every bolt, every line of code, every system had to be validated and tested carefully, or the shuttle would never leave the launchpad.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
25 Oct. 2025
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Among other benefits of cloud-native technologies, engineers can quickly validate product designs in real-world conditions, while CAE developers receive rapid feedback to optimize performance.—
Ni Tao,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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He was enrolled in a master’s program in biblical studies, but currently does not have lawful status in the country, officials said.—
Cindy Von Quednow,
CNN Money,
28 Oct. 2025
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Authorities said that he was previously admitted to the United States on a student visa and no longer holds lawful immigration status and is currently in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten , Adriana James-Rodil,
FOXNews.com,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Hannah, 54, writes thrillers under her own name as well as the Poirots, sanctioned by the Christie estate.—
Stephen Schaefer,
Boston Herald,
26 Oct. 2025
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Construction and engineering services firm Geotech Holdings – which has seven subsidiaries, each sanctioned by the US government – has headquarters in Kwai Chung, home to the city’s container port.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But the methods themselves privilege human-like skills.—
Jonny Thomson,
Big Think,
8 Oct. 2025
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And the dialogue would happen on platforms that goad each of us into being the worst versions of ourselves; that prioritize in-group performance over listening; that reward outrage and outrageousness; that collapse context; that exist to privilege conflict over resolution.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The scrutiny is warranted – Hollywood is watching tech companies try to replace creative judgment with pattern recognition, treating the art of storytelling as a prediction problem.—
Jennifer Maas,
Variety,
28 Oct. 2025
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Strong winds are occurring but are not so strong as to warrant a High wind warning.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
28 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Legitimate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/legitimate. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
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