delegitimize

verb

de·​le·​git·​i·​mize ˌdē-lə-ˈji-tə-ˌmīz How to pronounce delegitimize (audio)
delegitimized; delegitimizing; delegitimizes
Synonyms of delegitimizenext

transitive verb

: to diminish or destroy the legitimacy, prestige, or authority of
delegitimize a government
delegitimization noun

Examples of delegitimize in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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That could mean tightening sanctions on remaining power brokers, expanding strikes against security installations and militias, covertly supporting insurgent factions, and using Maduro’s prospective trial as a global stage on which to delegitimize Chavismo once and for all. Robert Muggah, Fortune, 5 Jan. 2026 That could mean tightening sanctions on remaining power brokers, expanding strikes against security installations and militias, covertly supporting insurgent factions, and using Maduro’s prospective trial as a global stage on which to delegitimize Chavismo once and for all. Robert Muggah, The Conversation, 4 Jan. 2026 By hollowing out pluralism and delegitimizing their opponents, these leaders, to varying degrees, roll back political rights and civil liberties. Nic Cheeseman, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025 Trump’s sinister achievement is to delegitimize the old intellectual and political establishment while at the same time cementing the racial hierarchies and regimes of repression that this elite exploited during the war on terror. Victor J. Blue, Harpers Magazine, 23 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for delegitimize

Word History

First Known Use

1968, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of delegitimize was in 1968

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Cite this Entry

“Delegitimize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/delegitimize. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.

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