legitimately

adverb

le·​git·​i·​mate·​ly li-ˈji-tə-mət-lē How to pronounce legitimately (audio)
: in a legitimate manner : according to what is lawful, permitted, appropriate, or reasonable
money earned legitimately [=legally]
a question that can be legitimately asked
… objects of ritual significance that were common tribal property seldom if ever could have come legitimately into nontribal hands.Robert McC. Adams
The other kind of steroids are the potent inflammation fighters widely and legitimately used to treat dozens of illnesses.Paul G. Donohue
… several objections to their book can legitimately be raised.Christopher Lehmann-Haupt

Examples of legitimately in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Even by the Associated Press’s recent estimates, nearly sixty per cent of Republicans don’t think Biden was legitimately elected. Antonia Hitchens, The New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2024 During that streak, Ferguson captured the interim lightweight title and was legitimately one of the toughest fights anyone could draw. Brian Mazique, Forbes, 15 Oct. 2024 Generally that term refers to – and often legitimately – harm imposed on poorer neighborhoods as polluting industries encroach. Steven Greenhut, Orange County Register, 13 Oct. 2024 Heap is aligned and backed by many of the MAGA Republicans who have questioned the validity of Maricopa County's election results, and has declined to say whether President Biden legitimately won the 2020 election. Jessica Boehm, Axios, 9 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for legitimately 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'legitimately.' 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

1593, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of legitimately was in 1593

Dictionary Entries Near legitimately

Cite this Entry

“Legitimately.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/legitimately. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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