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
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Recent Examples of legitimacy
And so before the ice dancing competition at the 1998 Nagano Olympics had even seen its first crossover, its legitimacy was already being questioned.
—
Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 26 Jan. 2026
That’s unfortunate because the Nigerian state faces multiple challenges to its legitimacy and needs to work far harder to earn its people’s allegiance.
—Obi Anyadike, semafor.com, 26 Jan. 2026
But when governments lack will, capacity, or legitimacy, corporations and other organizations operating in those environments do not get a pass.
—Monica Sanders, Forbes.com, 25 Jan. 2026
In November, the United Nations Security Council backed the plan, giving it international legitimacy and a mandate to oversee the demilitarization and rebuilding of Gaza.
—Josh Meyer, USA Today, 24 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for legitimacy
Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 26 Jan. 2026
That’s unfortunate because the Nigerian state faces multiple challenges to its legitimacy and needs to work far harder to earn its people’s allegiance.
—Obi Anyadike, semafor.com, 26 Jan. 2026
But when governments lack will, capacity, or legitimacy, corporations and other organizations operating in those environments do not get a pass.
—Monica Sanders, Forbes.com, 25 Jan. 2026
In November, the United Nations Security Council backed the plan, giving it international legitimacy and a mandate to oversee the demilitarization and rebuilding of Gaza.
—Josh Meyer, USA Today, 24 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for legitimacy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for legitimacy
Noun
-
The lawfulness of an order would be determined by a military judge.—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Jan. 2026
-
Legal experts raised questions about the lawfulness of the operation, which was done without congressional approval.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
4 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
No one knows for sure what’s going on among the nine justices, several of whom expressed skepticism about the tariffs’ legality at arguments in November.—
Mark Sherman,
Fortune,
28 Jan. 2026
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The lawsuit challenges 36 boat strikes since September that killed at least 126 people, the first legal case to question their legality under international law.—
Eric Tucker,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Legitimacy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/legitimacy. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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