LEGITIMIZE Synonyms: 40 Similar and Opposite Words

legitimize

verb

Definition of legitimize next

as in to enable

to make something real, accepted, or official slang words legitimized by usage

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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 legitimize The mayor himself will arrive this morning ahead of his afternoon one-on-one with Leo, the first American — and Chicago-born — pope, whose advocacy on immigrant rights and historic apology on Monday for the Holy See’s role in legitimizing slavery will be top of the list for Johnson to discuss. —

Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 28 May 2026 Strong suggests legitimizing and standardizing station tattoos, making a design readily available if deputies want to pay homage to their workplace, as other departments across the nation do. —

Sierra Van Der Brug, Daily News, 28 May 2026 Social integrity asks what AI legitimizes as knowledge and truth. —

Hamilton Mann, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026 Being a member of a paramilitary group does not legitimize his murder, and soldiers and Ministry of Interior officers alike are now being killed in indiscriminate American and Israeli airstrikes. —

Nabil Salih, Time, 26 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for legitimize

Recent Examples of Synonyms for legitimize

Verb

If approved by voters this fall, the noncitizen voting measure would enable the council to pass an ordinance allowing noncitizen residents of Los Angeles to vote in citywide and Los Angeles Unified school board elections.

— Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2026
The malware infected the Network Driver Interface, which streamlined communications between network protocol drivers enabling service such as TCP/IP network adapter drivers.

— Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 17 June 2026