as in authorizing
to make something real, accepted, or official
slang words legitimized by usage
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Recent Examples of legitimizing
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
Its historic proximity to success is a legitimizing anchor for the movement.
—Katie Thornton, Harpers Magazine, 26 May 2026
Institutions that once prided themselves on filtering out this kind of rhetoric are now legitimizing it.
—Alma Hernandez, New York Daily News, 1 May 2026
Critics caution the pope against allowing the government to exploit his presence, warning his visit risks legitimizing the regime’s abuses while offering only symbolic appeals for peace.
—Nicole Winfield, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2026
There is a difference in legitimizing a person’s agenda versus finding common ground.
—Torie Bosch, STAT, 11 Apr. 2026
Others contend that legitimizing him erodes Democratic credibility on antisemitism and other issues, handing Republicans ammunition heading into the midterms.
—Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
What hurts the Cuban people is legitimizing it.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 17 Mar. 2026
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
Its historic proximity to success is a legitimizing anchor for the movement.
—Katie Thornton, Harpers Magazine, 26 May 2026
Institutions that once prided themselves on filtering out this kind of rhetoric are now legitimizing it.
—Alma Hernandez, New York Daily News, 1 May 2026
Critics caution the pope against allowing the government to exploit his presence, warning his visit risks legitimizing the regime’s abuses while offering only symbolic appeals for peace.
—Nicole Winfield, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2026
There is a difference in legitimizing a person’s agenda versus finding common ground.
—Torie Bosch, STAT, 11 Apr. 2026
Others contend that legitimizing him erodes Democratic credibility on antisemitism and other issues, handing Republicans ammunition heading into the midterms.
—Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
What hurts the Cuban people is legitimizing it.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 17 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for legitimizing
Verb
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In recent days, Senate supporters have whittled down the scope of the plan, authorizing it only for Cook County and Chicago sites rather than statewide as Pritzker originally intended.—
Jeremy Gorner,
Chicago Tribune,
30 May 2026
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Anadolu Agency | Getty Images Russia has passed a law authorizing its central bank and other financial institutions to repel drone attacks with their own defense systems, as the country struggles to defend against Ukrainian strikes.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
27 May 2026
Verb
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The laboratory is also expected to support the development of standardized interfaces for quantum hardware, enabling external researchers and commercial partners to test sensors and other components on a common research platform.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
31 May 2026
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The Stanford Engineering School’s Global and Online Education program does however offer a wide range of courses for working professionals, enabling qualified applicants to access regular Stanford graduate courses.—
Bryan Penprase,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
Verb
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For many women, that visibility has been validating and long overdue.—
Meggen Harris,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
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Their measurements closely matched theoretical predictions and simulations, validating the core physics behind the approach.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
30 May 2026
Verb
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The ruling gave hijras official status as a minority community, entitling them to various forms of government assistance.—
Charles Preston,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
28 May 2026
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The superintendent, general counsel and chief auditor qualify for the supplements due to provisions in their contracts entitling them to the same increases as other administrative staff, officials said.—
Scott Travis,
Sun Sentinel,
3 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Do that, and the crossover spectacle becomes a rivalry worth sanctioning twice.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2026
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At the same time, the administration’s appetite for sanctioning China, which has long been the single largest buyer of Iranian oil, has been limited, according to Chris Kennedy, economic statecraft lead at Bloomberg Economics and a former State Department official.—
Magdalena Del Valle,
Fortune,
23 May 2026
Verb
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Following decades of meeting permitting demands and satisfying cultural heritage concerns, Resolution Copper now stands ready to deliver.—
David Blackmon,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
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The Senate Executive Committee earlier in the week advanced legislation similar to the governor’s proposal to allow multiple units of housing statewide on many lots currently zoned for single-family homes, as well as a proposal similar to the governor’s plan to cut down on permitting timelines.—
Jeremy Gorner,
Chicago Tribune,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Legitimizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/legitimizing. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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