legitimize
verb
le·git·i·mize
li-ˈji-tə-ˌmīz 
legitimized; legitimizing
: to make legitimate : legitimate
Examples of legitimize in a Sentence
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This article is not useful to most of us, because 90% of towns and cities in this country are locked into a single ISP, effectively local monopolies legitimized by the feckless FCC, Congress, and state legislatures.
—
Michael Lydick, PC Magazine, 9 Aug. 2025
In his eyes, a meeting between him and Trump would legitimize him with the West.
—Anna Commander, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Aug. 2025
As details from the report emerged Wednesday, cryptocurrency insiders lauded it as a crucial step in legitimizing digital asset markets by providing legal and regulatory clarity to an industry that has struggled to emerge from its reputation as a haven for criminals and hucksters.
—Lucien Bruggeman, ABC News, 30 July 2025
That said, smart regulation could also legitimize the category.
—Sindhya Valloppillil, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025
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Michael Lydick, PC Magazine, 9 Aug. 2025
In his eyes, a meeting between him and Trump would legitimize him with the West.
—Anna Commander, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Aug. 2025
As details from the report emerged Wednesday, cryptocurrency insiders lauded it as a crucial step in legitimizing digital asset markets by providing legal and regulatory clarity to an industry that has struggled to emerge from its reputation as a haven for criminals and hucksters.
—Lucien Bruggeman, ABC News, 30 July 2025
That said, smart regulation could also legitimize the category.
—Sindhya Valloppillil, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for legitimize
Cite this Entry
“Legitimize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/legitimize. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
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Legal Definition
legitimize
transitive verb
le·git·i·mize
lə-ˈji-tə-ˌmīz
legitimized; legitimizing
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