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
If the debt remains legitimately unresolved, re-enrolling in a debt relief program may be worth considering.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
Higher trims get legitimately nice with bigger screens, premium audio, soft-touch materials, and so on.
—New Atlas, 19 Apr. 2026
Denver is set at center after extending Luke Wattenberg in November, but a guy who could legitimately play any spot along the line would no doubt be an asset.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 15 Apr. 2026
Even though there was some absurd stuff on the show, people did legitimately do things that were outrageous back then.
—Jennifer Wilson, New Yorker, 12 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for legitimately
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Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
Higher trims get legitimately nice with bigger screens, premium audio, soft-touch materials, and so on.
—New Atlas, 19 Apr. 2026
Denver is set at center after extending Luke Wattenberg in November, but a guy who could legitimately play any spot along the line would no doubt be an asset.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 15 Apr. 2026
Even though there was some absurd stuff on the show, people did legitimately do things that were outrageous back then.
—Jennifer Wilson, New Yorker, 12 Apr. 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 28 Apr. 2026.
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