Synonyms of legitimacy

legitimacy

noun

li-ˈji-tə-mə-sē 

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

• lawfulness
• legality
• rightfulness
• rightness
• permissibility
• permissibleness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• illegality
• illegitimacy
• unlawfulness
• wrongfulness
• immorality
• wickedness
• wrongness
• badness
• sinfulness
• criminality
• iniquity
• unconstitutionality
• unjustness
• iniquitousness

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of legitimacy

The late-twentieth-century rise of Islamic states and movements followed an earlier ideological transformation in the opposite direction, as secular projects lost legitimacy and political Islam gained influence. — Mansoor Moaddel, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2026

Israel views the movement as an attack on the legitimacy of the Jewish state. — ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026

Dozens of medical professionals have openly promoted access to retatrutide, and some sellers have been aided by an independent, blue-chip certification that gives them the appearance of legitimacy and the ability to advertise it on social media. — Daniel Gilbert, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026

Certainly there were clear taboos, beginning with questioning the legitimacy of the Chinese Communist Party and criticizing the country’s central leadership. — Howard W. French, The New York Review of Books, 3 Oct. 2026