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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of legitimacy Regulators and investors are questioning the legitimacy of ESG. Paul Klein, Forbes.com, 22 June 2025 Who would replace the current leadership, and what legitimacy would the new leadership have? Niall Stanage, The Hill, 18 June 2025 This government has neither the power, will, nor legitimacy required to run the country or manage crises. Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 18 June 2025 Corporations’ money bought social legitimacy on all sides at a fraction of the cost of most feel-good advertising campaigns. Pamela N. Danziger, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for legitimacy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for legitimacy
legality
Noun
  • The bill was passed with bipartisan support and signed into law by former President Joe Biden in April 2024, but ByteDance immediately challenged the legality of the ban .
    Zachary Folk, Forbes.com, 29 June 2025
  • The Justice Department did not seek a fast-track ruling on the legality of Trump’s order, focusing instead on narrowing the injunctions.
    Nik Popli, Time, 27 June 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Legitimacy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/legitimacy. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on legitimacy

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!