as in lawfulness
the quality or state of being legal
the legitimacy of the military dictatorship was not recognized by most other nations
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Recent Examples of legitimacy
The League of Nations is struggling for legitimacy as Germany and Japan withdraw, driven by swelling imperial ambitions.
—
Jake Angelo, Fortune, 17 Feb. 2026
Lambert presents his call to action with the same legitimacy and irrefutability as the alphabet is taught to children.
—Anya Sesay, jsonline.com, 16 Feb. 2026
The friendly banter quickly made headlines, with many wondering about the joke's legitimacy.
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 16 Feb. 2026
McCarthy warned that being too quick to bring untested criminal cases against political adversaries risks damaging institutional legitimacy regardless of which party is in power.
—Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 15 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for legitimacy
Jake Angelo, Fortune, 17 Feb. 2026
Lambert presents his call to action with the same legitimacy and irrefutability as the alphabet is taught to children.
—Anya Sesay, jsonline.com, 16 Feb. 2026
The friendly banter quickly made headlines, with many wondering about the joke's legitimacy.
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 16 Feb. 2026
McCarthy warned that being too quick to bring untested criminal cases against political adversaries risks damaging institutional legitimacy regardless of which party is in power.
—Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 15 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for legitimacy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for legitimacy
Noun
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The petitions are not contesting removal orders, only the lawfulness of detaining the noncitizen plaintiffs during those proceedings.—
Tasha Carvell,
Twin Cities,
3 Feb. 2026
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The lawfulness of an order would be determined by a military judge.—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
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In the weeks since the Federal Bureau of Investigation raided an elections facility in Fulton County, Georgia, local and federal officials have clashed over the process and legality of the raid.—
Irene Wright,
USA Today,
10 Feb. 2026
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The legality of the strikes has come under intense scrutiny as the administration has publicly presented little evidence that those killed in the ongoing operations are affiliates of drug cartels or that each of the vessels had drugs on board.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Legitimacy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/legitimacy. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
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