as in lawfulness
the quality or state of being legal
the legitimacy of the military dictatorship was not recognized by most other nations
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of legitimacy
We cannot be astonished to see the Supreme Court rubber-stamp nearly every effort by the right to expand executive power—including undermining the legitimacy of the lower courts.
—
Stacey Abrams, Time, 28 Aug. 2025
Martin has continued to defend the legitimacy of his investigation.
—Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2025
The question of her legitimacy has caused chaos in New Jersey’s courts already.
—Ella Lee, The Hill, 27 Aug. 2025
Leaving aside outright frauds, pay-for-play exists on a spectrum of cost and legitimacy.
—Dana Harris-Bridson, IndieWire, 26 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for legitimacy
Stacey Abrams, Time, 28 Aug. 2025
Martin has continued to defend the legitimacy of his investigation.
—Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2025
The question of her legitimacy has caused chaos in New Jersey’s courts already.
—Ella Lee, The Hill, 27 Aug. 2025
Leaving aside outright frauds, pay-for-play exists on a spectrum of cost and legitimacy.
—Dana Harris-Bridson, IndieWire, 26 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for legitimacy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for legitimacy
Noun
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The administration now plans to seek a full review next term on the lawfulness of the executive order itself.—
Robert Alexander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Aug. 2025
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The High Court of Justice in London dismissed claims from the Wikimedia Foundation, which challenged the lawfulness of the categorization system used to determine which sites must comply with obligations.—
Jon Brodkin,
ArsTechnica,
11 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The White House is currently locked in a court battle over the legality of this practice, where the administration could refuse to spend money approved by Congress.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
6 Sep. 2025
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Critics also question the legality of the strike.—
Andres Oppenheimer
September 5,
Miami Herald,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Legitimacy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/legitimacy. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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