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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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 The Wall Street firm expects the cryptocurrency will enjoy greater legitimacy alongside gold as a federal holding over the next five years. Sarah Min, CNBC, 23 Sep. 2025 The trial will determine the legitimacy of the company’s Chapter 11 filing. Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 23 Sep. 2025 Others point a finger at the PA, which remains deeply unpopular among Palestinians and is seen by many as weak, corrupt and lacking legitimacy. Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 20 Sep. 2025 The stories about the fate of Bishop’s body were a critical element of the discourse regarding the invasion’s legitimacy, Sharpe explains. The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 19 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for legitimacy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for legitimacy
Noun
  • 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
  • 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
  • Questions are now being raised regarding the legality of the consequences.
    Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 22 Sep. 2025
  • Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, policy director of the American Immigration Council, questioned the legality of the new fees.
    Aditya Soni, Reuters, 20 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Legitimacy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/legitimacy. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.

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