legitimately
adverb
le·git·i·mate·ly
li-ˈji-tə-mət-lē 
: 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
Robert McC. AdamsThe other kind of steroids are the potent inflammation fighters widely and legitimately used to treat dozens of illnesses.—Paul G. Donohue
Paul G. Donohue… several objections to their book can legitimately be raised.—Christopher Lehmann-Haupt
Christopher Lehmann-HauptExamples of legitimately in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Both can legitimately claim to be effective, accessible mayors.
—U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 May 2026
Chad Smith crashes opening monologue A barber came out and seemed prepared to legitimately shave Jost's head live on the air, but Che stepped in to stop it at the last minute.
—Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 17 May 2026
The walnut frame itself is also legitimately nice.
—Joe Salas
may 17, New Atlas, 17 May 2026
His embrace of Trump‘s endorsement and refusal to admit that Joe Biden legitimately won the 2020 presidential election expose him as a toady.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for legitimately
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.
U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 May 2026
Chad Smith crashes opening monologue A barber came out and seemed prepared to legitimately shave Jost's head live on the air, but Che stepped in to stop it at the last minute.
—Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 17 May 2026
The walnut frame itself is also legitimately nice.
—Joe Salas
may 17, New Atlas, 17 May 2026
His embrace of Trump‘s endorsement and refusal to admit that Joe Biden legitimately won the 2020 presidential election expose him as a toady.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for legitimately
Cite this Entry
“Legitimately.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/legitimately. Accessed 31 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
