legitimate 1 of 2

legitimate

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word legitimate different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of legitimate are lawful, legal, and licit. While all these words mean "being in accordance with law," legitimate may apply to a legal right or status but also, in extended use, to a right or status supported by tradition, custom, or accepted standards.

a perfectly legitimate question about taxes

When is it sensible to use lawful instead of legitimate?

The synonyms lawful and legitimate are sometimes interchangeable, but lawful may apply to conformity with law of any sort (such as natural, divine, common, or canon).

the lawful sovereign

When can legal be used instead of legitimate?

While in some cases nearly identical to legitimate, legal applies to what is sanctioned by law or in conformity with the law, especially as it is written or administered by the courts.

legal residents of the state

In what contexts can licit take the place of legitimate?

Although the words licit and legitimate have much in common, licit applies to a strict conformity to the provisions of the law and applies especially to what is regulated by law.

the licit use of drugs by doctors

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 legitimate
Adjective
The only domestic organ that could have legitimated the strike is Congress, but it wasn’t even given the chance. Andreas Kluth, Mercury News, 28 June 2025 In response, elites double down, weaponizing the claim of misinformation to legitimate the stifling of debate. Jacob Hale Russell, TIME, 4 Mar. 2025
Verb
Jayden Daniels is back for his sophomore season and has a team with legitimate talent around him. Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2025 Ask yourself if the information being presented seems legitimate. Tamia Fowlkes, jsonline.com, 4 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for legitimate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for legitimate
Adjective
  • Real estate experts say claiming primary residences on different mortgages at the same time is often legal and rarely prosecuted.
    Robert Faturechi, ProPublica, 6 Sep. 2025
  • The brutality of the Ukrainian frontline The challenges facing foreign volunteer fighters on the battlefield extend well beyond their legal label.
    Rebecca Johns, Miami Herald, 6 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The university system became an important site for legitimizing claims through theories and studies.
    Sara Giordano, The Conversation, 4 Sep. 2025
  • In an effort to legitimize the prior two phases, a scammer may impersonate an employee of the Federal Reserve or another agency.
    Jeremy Tanner, The Hill, 30 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Security, errors, and trust dominate the risk analysis Despite the hype and muddled terminology, the core idea of AI agents—systems designed to autonomously take action to carry out specific tasks—is still generating a lot of justifiable excitement.
    Sage Lazzaro, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2025
  • As an epic celebration of imperialism, colonialization, and warfare, the Aeneid is often viewed with justifiable wariness by twenty-first-century readers.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • To be sure, many approaches have been tried in the past, but all sorts of predictions that arose from them have yet to be validated or borne out by experiment.
    Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 5 Sep. 2025
  • The data collected will be used to validate mechanical models that will inform the final design of the full-scale propellant tanks.
    Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • This is a lawful order to LEAVE NOW.
    CA WILDFIRE BOT, Sacbee.com, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Schrank also told reporters at the site on Friday that some U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents had been detained in the raid and were later released.
    Rebecca Schneid, Time, 6 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • All four individuals sanctioned by the Leagues Cup were also fined for their conduct.
    Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Suarez, as of publication, has not yet been sanctioned by the league.
    Felipe Cardenas, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • At the same time, the Brotherhood discourages any worldly attachment that privileges one person over another person, or over God.
    Hannah Gold, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2025
  • Is doing least privilege across all your applications a solution?
    Megan Poinski, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Strong winds are occurring but are not so strong as to warrant a High wind warning.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Identify which business processes are core differentiators (those that set you apart and may warrant custom functionality), and which are commodity functions (best suited for standardization through out-of-the-box ERP modules).
    Shiv Kaushik, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Legitimate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/legitimate. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.

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