legitimacy

noun

le·​git·​i·​ma·​cy li-ˈji-tə-mə-sē How to pronounce legitimacy (audio)
: the quality or state of being legitimate

Examples of legitimacy in a Sentence

the legitimacy of the military dictatorship was not recognized by most other nations
Recent Examples on the Web His exoneration could restore your faith in humanity. March 2, 2024 The families were sometimes paid nominal cash amounts, as the Nazis feigned administrative legitimacy for their systematic theft of Jewish wealth, but the same families were precluded from taking cash out of the country. Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2024 In the 5th Congressional District, where there is a legitimacy dispute between two competing Hillsdale County GOP leadership factions, delegates quickly OK'd a pact under which one faction was able to seat seven delegates at Grand Rapids and the other was able to seat six. Paul Egan, Detroit Free Press, 2 Mar. 2024 Academics gave the eugenics movement legitimacy and helped drive the Wisconsin sterilization law passed in 1913. Journal Sentinel, 29 Feb. 2024 As Iran prepares for a parliamentary election on Friday, calls to boycott the vote are turning it into a test of legitimacy for the ruling clerics amid widespread discontent and anger at the government. Farnaz Fassihi, New York Times, 29 Feb. 2024 All three countries register a strong majority belief that the system in their country is broken, attitudes that serve as the substructure of the leaders’ legitimacy. Clifford Young, Fortune, 28 Feb. 2024 Wright insisted on the legitimacy of these materials. Susie Violet Ward, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2024 Sharif and others in Pakistan’s civilian political establishment pinned their hopes on a fresh election to boost their legitimacy. Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 11 Feb. 2024 And any social legitimacy that the military had left, analysts say, was eroded by widespread allegations of vote tampering to narrow the winning margins among Mr. Khan’s allies. Christina Goldbaum, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'legitimacy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1625, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of legitimacy was in 1625

Dictionary Entries Near legitimacy

Cite this Entry

“Legitimacy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/legitimacy. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

legitimacy

noun
le·​git·​i·​ma·​cy li-ˈjit-ə-mə-sē How to pronounce legitimacy (audio)
: the quality or state of being legitimate

Legal Definition

legitimacy

noun
le·​git·​i·​ma·​cy li-ˈji-tə-mə-sē How to pronounce legitimacy (audio)
: the quality or state of being legitimate

More from Merriam-Webster on legitimacy

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