as in authorized
to make something real, accepted, or official
slang words legitimized by usage
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Recent Examples of legitimized
Trump signed the Genius Act in July, legislation that legitimized the technology.
—
Carlos Garcia, Fortune, 27 Jan. 2026
In many ways, your involvement as an investor in and adviser to Vice legitimized the company and its larger-than-life leader, Shane Smith.
—Lacey Rose, HollywoodReporter, 17 Nov. 2025
This was legitimized as a way to protect the country from further invasions – which the French were constantly threatening to do.
—Julia Gaffield, The Conversation, 15 Oct. 2025
Parcells legitimized the franchise upon his arrival as a Super Bowl-winning coach in 1993 and took the Patriots to the playoffs in two of his four seasons.
—Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 21 Sep. 2025
Notably, numerous high-profile cable news has-beens have legitimized Owens' outrageous laundering of a left-wing political assassination into an anti-Semitic caper.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Sep. 2025
If there was any question, the ownership of the top spot was legitimized by the company's recent rights deal with Paramount Plus.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
This article is not useful to most of us, because 90% of towns and cities in this country are locked into a single ISP, effectively local monopolies legitimized by the feckless FCC, Congress, and state legislatures.
—Michael Lydick, PC Magazine, 9 Aug. 2025
Congressional hearings in 2022 and 2023 further legitimized the topic, with intelligence officials emphasizing national security concerns.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 20 Feb. 2025
Carlos Garcia, Fortune, 27 Jan. 2026
In many ways, your involvement as an investor in and adviser to Vice legitimized the company and its larger-than-life leader, Shane Smith.
—Lacey Rose, HollywoodReporter, 17 Nov. 2025
This was legitimized as a way to protect the country from further invasions – which the French were constantly threatening to do.
—Julia Gaffield, The Conversation, 15 Oct. 2025
Parcells legitimized the franchise upon his arrival as a Super Bowl-winning coach in 1993 and took the Patriots to the playoffs in two of his four seasons.
—Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 21 Sep. 2025
Notably, numerous high-profile cable news has-beens have legitimized Owens' outrageous laundering of a left-wing political assassination into an anti-Semitic caper.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Sep. 2025
If there was any question, the ownership of the top spot was legitimized by the company's recent rights deal with Paramount Plus.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
This article is not useful to most of us, because 90% of towns and cities in this country are locked into a single ISP, effectively local monopolies legitimized by the feckless FCC, Congress, and state legislatures.
—Michael Lydick, PC Magazine, 9 Aug. 2025
Congressional hearings in 2022 and 2023 further legitimized the topic, with intelligence officials emphasizing national security concerns.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 20 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for legitimized
Verb
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An Israeli intelligence official and a reservist with knowledge of the assessment spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter with the media.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
12 Mar. 2026
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The bill would also prevent prediction markets from operating in a state unless they’re authorized under a state wagering program approved by the attorney general.—
Lisa Hagen,
Hartford Courant,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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If an airline cancels a flight or a connection becomes impossible, passengers are typically entitled to rebook or request refunds, depending on the airline’s policies.—
Hana Al-Khodairi,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Mar. 2026
-
State statute provides that tax collectors are entitled to a commission on all real and tangible personal property taxes collected and remitted.—
Abbey Ajayi,
Sun Sentinel,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
My main issue is the hubris of it all — and the people who enabled it.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
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Ironically, the very effort to secure one’s position can destabilize the society that enabled success in the first place.—
Michael Sonnenfeldt,
Fortune,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The researchers have validated their framework against real-world activities.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Mar. 2026
-
To some, Midnight Hammer validated a doctrine of decisive action—limited in duration but maximal in force.—
Eric Cortellessa,
Time,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The White House slapped 50% tariffs on Indian goods – half of them to directly punish New Delhi for its Russian oil purchases – and later sanctioned two of Russia’s largest oil firms, in a bid to choke off the Kremlin’s key source of foreign cash.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
10 Mar. 2026
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And while China has a considerable oil stockpile, the war cuts Beijing off from Tehran’s cheap, sanctioned crude.—
J.D. Capelouto,
semafor.com,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Since legalizing online gambling in 2021, the state requires betting platforms to be licensed by the Michigan Gaming Control Board.—
Arpan Lobo,
Freep.com,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Everbunny Counts became the first standalone, licensed domestic rabbit rescue facility in Connecticut in March 2024.—
Sean Krofssik,
Hartford Courant,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In Group A, Australia, which beat war-scarred Iran 4-0 on Thursday, and South Korea have already qualified.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Mar. 2026
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No team that has qualified for the tournament has withdrawn in the past 75 years.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Pentagon has not permitted photographers to cover Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s last two briefings on the war in Iran, and hasn’t explained the change in long-standing policy.—
David Bauder,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
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This permitted Bush to send troops into Iraq and further pursue a war that would last a decade.—
Charlie Hunt,
The Conversation,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Legitimized.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/legitimized. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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