as in to enable
to make something real, accepted, or official
slang words legitimized by usage
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of legitimize
So there was a great deal of prejudice and many attempts to de-legitimize her intelligence.
—
Roberto Prieto, Variety, 26 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
Mass media genres are developed and legitimized to voice particular concerns and provide pleasures that align with audiences’ interests.
—Tham Thi Nguyen, Encyclopedia Britannica, 26 May 2026
That bull and another issued three years later, Romanus Pontifex, formed the basis of the Doctrine of Discovery, the theory that legitimized the colonial-era seizure of land in Africa and the Americas.
—Nicole Winfield, Los Angeles Times, 25 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for legitimize
Roberto Prieto, Variety, 26 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
Mass media genres are developed and legitimized to voice particular concerns and provide pleasures that align with audiences’ interests.
—Tham Thi Nguyen, Encyclopedia Britannica, 26 May 2026
That bull and another issued three years later, Romanus Pontifex, formed the basis of the Doctrine of Discovery, the theory that legitimized the colonial-era seizure of land in Africa and the Americas.
—Nicole Winfield, Los Angeles Times, 25 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for legitimize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for legitimize
Verb
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According to the firm, the dual-domain architecture enables the robot to interpret spoken instructions, understand its environment, generate action plans, and execute physical tasks with coordinated motion.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
3 June 2026
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Originally designed to operate for just one year around Mars, MAVEN's mission was repeatedly extended, enabling the most extensive research into the workings of the Martian atmosphere ever attempted.—
William Harwood,
CBS News,
3 June 2026
Verb
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California authorized emergency vehicles to use the Hi-Lo warning sound for evacuation notifications under Senate Bill 909, signed into law in 2020.—
Reeti Malhotra,
Sacbee.com,
9 June 2026
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The nearly 2,000 workers represented by the union, which includes dishwashers, concession workers, bartenders and servers, voted last week to authorize a strike with 96% of those voting supporting the decision to walk off the job.—
Kevin Baxter,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
Verb
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The process of counting mail ballots and validating voters’ signatures is also arduous, as each envelope signature must match the signatures on file, which can lead to additional delays as well.—
Emily Chang,
ABC News,
3 June 2026
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However, the market wants management to validate the story rather than leave it to analysts' models.—
Jeff Marks,
CNBC,
3 June 2026
Verb
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However, the trust petition argues that Nick Reiner is entitled to a presumption of innocence, and suggests that the family trusts could be subject to future litigation.—
Gene Maddaus,
Variety,
10 June 2026
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Like anyone accused of a crime, Nick is presumed innocent, and he is entitled to mount his defense with the resources that are lawfully his own.—
Liza Esquibias,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
Verb
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The only path from bubble team to legitimate Stanley Cup contender requires making major upgrades at a faster rate than the stars’ decline.—
Shayna Goldman,
New York Times,
19 May 2026
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American history either ignores or stereotypes Indigenous peoples for the purpose of legitimating the US.—
Tim Brinkhof,
JSTOR Daily,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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There was still another play-off (against Trinidad & Tobago of Concacaf, who ended up qualifying for the finals in Germany) after the Bahrain game but this was, until today, probably the best team Uzbekistan has ever had.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
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Twenty teams, nearly half the field, didn’t qualify for the 2022 World Cup.—
Scott M. Reid,
Oc Register,
10 June 2026
Verb
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The opening salvo of the assault is intended to distract the Russians and permit four other robots to get behind enemy lines.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
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Basically, no matter how soap-y the show gets, Akerman permits the audience to buy into and sincerely enjoy the Hunting Wives ridiculousness.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Legitimize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/legitimize. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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