as in to enable
to make something real, accepted, or official
slang words legitimized by usage
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Recent Examples of legitimize
She was originally sentenced to 33 years in prison in late 2022 for several offenses that her supporters and rights groups described as attempts to discredit her and legitimize the army takeover that removed her from office, as well as to prevent her return to politics.
—
ABC News, 30 Apr. 2026
Suu Kyi was originally sentenced to 33 years in prison in late 2022 for several offenses that her supporters and rights groups described as attempts to discredit her and legitimize the army takeover that removed her from office, as well as to prevent her return to politics.
—Grant Peck, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
In 2007 the Declaration of Reasonable Doubt, a digital petition to legitimize the authorship question, was spearheaded by veteran Shakespearean actors Derek Jacobi and Mark Rylance.
—Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Apr. 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, Chicago Tribune, 19 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for legitimize
ABC News, 30 Apr. 2026
Suu Kyi was originally sentenced to 33 years in prison in late 2022 for several offenses that her supporters and rights groups described as attempts to discredit her and legitimize the army takeover that removed her from office, as well as to prevent her return to politics.
—Grant Peck, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
In 2007 the Declaration of Reasonable Doubt, a digital petition to legitimize the authorship question, was spearheaded by veteran Shakespearean actors Derek Jacobi and Mark Rylance.
—Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Apr. 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, Chicago Tribune, 19 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for legitimize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for legitimize
Verb
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Building Mercury Bank The charter, which Akhund says may be ready for final approval in 2027 as Mercury builds its products and internal controls, will enable the firm to keep more revenue for itself.—
Hugh Son,
CNBC,
20 May 2026
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The new Gen-2 hand, named Flex 2, combines multiple actuation technologies in a hybrid drive system, enabling it to handle objects with different shapes, textures, and levels of fragility more effectively.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
20 May 2026
Verb
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Availability and pricing for the Osmo Pocket 4P will be announced through DJI’s official channels and authorized retail partners at a later date.—
Deadline,
Deadline,
20 May 2026
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The sources spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to brief the media.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 May 2026
Verb
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Proof of age is required at check-in to validate this Great Wolf Lodge discount code.—
Madison Flager,
Condé Nast Traveler,
20 May 2026
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The analyst still read the intelligence, made the judgment call about version pinning and validated the AI agent’s findings and escalations.—
Aqsa Taylor,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
Verb
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Under the employment agreement attached to the lawsuit, Newton would be entitled to 12 months of severance if terminated without just cause.—
Nora O'Neill,
Charlotte Observer,
19 May 2026
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In that same light, McIlroy, Lowry, or any other player is absolutely entitled to share their opinions of a setup, and outside of an egregious statement, shouldn't take flak.—
Mark Harris OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
18 May 2026
Verb
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These programs were designed to provide tax credits to legitimate businesses for employment taxes and wages.—
Chase Jordan
January 10,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Post-Europe is a response to this seemingly repetitive situation and the increasing tendency of legitimating a nationalist and fascist discourse.—
Daniel Birnbaum,
Artforum,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
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That group makes too much money to qualify for the remaining subsidies in the program that are reserved for low-income enrollees.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 May 2026
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Things went from high to low for Rossi and Ed Carpenter Racing when, after qualifying P2 for the race, sandwiched on the front row by pole sitter and reigning champion Alex Palou and Team Penske's David Malukas, Rossi had a major crash in Monday's practice session.—
Matt Reigle OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
19 May 2026
Verb
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Hernandez will continue competing under CIF rules permitting transgender participation and is scheduled to compete Saturday, May 16, before advancing to the CIF finals in Clovis later this month.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2026
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Current law permits officers who receive waivers to continue working until age 60, despite the standard mandatory retirement age of 57 or after 20 years of service, whichever comes later.—
Rena Rowe,
The Washington Examiner,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Legitimize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/legitimize. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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