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
Past Presidents held back on attacking Iran for fear of damaging America’s legitimacy or its interests, broadly construed.
—
David Remnick, New Yorker, 17 Mar. 2026
ProPublica has reported that Honey was previously a leader in the Election Integrity Network, a conservative group that has challenged the legitimacy of American election systems.
—Doug Bock Clark, ProPublica, 14 Mar. 2026
For the last week and a half, workers at the City Clerk’s Office have been verifying the legitimacy of voter signatures submitted by the candidates, finishing the last batch on Friday.
—Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2026
This challenged the moral argument on which the legitimacy of the drug war rested.
—Sheila Coronel, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for legitimacy
David Remnick, New Yorker, 17 Mar. 2026
ProPublica has reported that Honey was previously a leader in the Election Integrity Network, a conservative group that has challenged the legitimacy of American election systems.
—Doug Bock Clark, ProPublica, 14 Mar. 2026
For the last week and a half, workers at the City Clerk’s Office have been verifying the legitimacy of voter signatures submitted by the candidates, finishing the last batch on Friday.
—Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2026
This challenged the moral argument on which the legitimacy of the drug war rested.
—Sheila Coronel, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 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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Republicans’ stated objections to the bill, however, dealt mostly with other sections that were unrelated to the legality of plug-in solar devices.—
John Moritz,
Hartford Courant,
25 Mar. 2026
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The legality of the administration's use of the wartime powers to summarily expel the deportees continues to be litigated in federal court.—
Camilo Montoya-Galvez,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Legitimacy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/legitimacy. Accessed 28 Mar. 2026.
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