Examples of legitimacy in a Sentence
the legitimacy of the military dictatorship was not recognized by most other nations
Recent Examples on the Web
Perhaps America’s greatest loss is legitimacy.
—
Jon Duffy, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 Apr. 2026
Meanwhile, his attack on the Pope has presented Meloni with an opportunity to reposition herself as a defender of cultural and religious legitimacy.
—Julia Khrebtan-Hörhager, The Conversation, 24 Apr. 2026
Exploring his life means speaking about excellence, work, doubt, legitimacy, and solitude.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 23 Apr. 2026
Its overarching premise is that the law loses its legitimacy when political and economic elites violate—or are merely perceived to violate—the social contract.
—Thomas Chatterton Williams, The Atlantic, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for legitimacy
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Jon Duffy, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 Apr. 2026
Meanwhile, his attack on the Pope has presented Meloni with an opportunity to reposition herself as a defender of cultural and religious legitimacy.
—Julia Khrebtan-Hörhager, The Conversation, 24 Apr. 2026
Exploring his life means speaking about excellence, work, doubt, legitimacy, and solitude.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 23 Apr. 2026
Its overarching premise is that the law loses its legitimacy when political and economic elites violate—or are merely perceived to violate—the social contract.
—Thomas Chatterton Williams, The Atlantic, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for legitimacy
Cite this Entry
“Legitimacy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/legitimacy. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
legitimacy
noun
le·git·i·ma·cy
li-ˈjit-ə-mə-sē 
: the quality or state of being legitimate
Legal Definition
legitimacy
noun
le·git·i·ma·cy
li-ˈji-tə-mə-sē
: the quality or state of being legitimate
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
