as in authorizing
to make something real, accepted, or official
slang words legitimized by usage
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Recent Examples of legitimizing
Critics from across the political spectrum, including prominent Jewish leaders, condemned the discussion as legitimizing antisemitic and racist rhetoric.
—
Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
Gods have been especially helpful in this task of corralling the manual labor of the people and legitimizing it symbolically.
—Vanessa Taylor, Big Think, 25 Sep. 2025
The university system became an important site for legitimizing claims through theories and studies.
—Sara Giordano, The Conversation, 4 Sep. 2025
His goal was never a quick ceasefire but rather the gradual normalization of Russian territorial conquest through the legitimizing embrace of American diplomacy.
—Bobby Ghosh, Time, 16 Aug. 2025
Indeed, a huge part of the magazine’s legacy has been legitimizing Black design talent.
—Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 4 Aug. 2025
Paul has advocated legitimizing DOGE’s cuts by putting them through Congress.
—Brady Knox, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 23 Mar. 2025
If only there were a person uniquely situated to bring these judges to heel and bring the crisis to a halt, thus re-legitimizing the judiciary in earnest.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 21 Mar. 2025
The government's involvement in legitimizing mealworm powder as a safe food source also serves as a concrete example of how regulations encourage manufacturers to incorporate them into mainstream products on the way to normalizing the consumption of insects.
—Oyku Ilgar, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025
Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
Gods have been especially helpful in this task of corralling the manual labor of the people and legitimizing it symbolically.
—Vanessa Taylor, Big Think, 25 Sep. 2025
The university system became an important site for legitimizing claims through theories and studies.
—Sara Giordano, The Conversation, 4 Sep. 2025
His goal was never a quick ceasefire but rather the gradual normalization of Russian territorial conquest through the legitimizing embrace of American diplomacy.
—Bobby Ghosh, Time, 16 Aug. 2025
Indeed, a huge part of the magazine’s legacy has been legitimizing Black design talent.
—Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 4 Aug. 2025
Paul has advocated legitimizing DOGE’s cuts by putting them through Congress.
—Brady Knox, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 23 Mar. 2025
If only there were a person uniquely situated to bring these judges to heel and bring the crisis to a halt, thus re-legitimizing the judiciary in earnest.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 21 Mar. 2025
The government's involvement in legitimizing mealworm powder as a safe food source also serves as a concrete example of how regulations encourage manufacturers to incorporate them into mainstream products on the way to normalizing the consumption of insects.
—Oyku Ilgar, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for legitimizing
Verb
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School board members unanimously approved this action without discussion, in addition to authorizing negotiations and entering into a lease agreement with the City of Fort Worth for the park conversion.—
Lina Ruiz,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Oct. 2025
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The state law authorizing the referendum says the transit authority must complete at least 50% of the Red Line before completing any of the other rail projects on the docket.—
Mary Ramsey,
Charlotte Observer,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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With much of the world horrified by the USSR’s brutality, Eisenhower was furious that the British-French-Israeli offensive was both diverting international attention and handing Moscow a PR victory by enabling it to speak about Western aggression in the Middle East.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
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The woman who said Butler had manipulated her faith to abuse her as a teen blamed the Assemblies of God’s lack of safeguards for enabling him.—
Mike Hixenbaugh,
NBC news,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But the mandates also help colleges shovel heaps of bureaucratic muck—validating data for accreditation, carrying out enrollment, flagging troubled students, aggregating metrics of all kinds.—
Ian Bogost,
The Atlantic,
4 Nov. 2025
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Still, Colbert didn’t shy from validating those who tied the cancellation to political pressure.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The complaint alleges Johnson failed to disclose restricted stock units entitling him to 330,000 shares in his January 2024 bankruptcy petition.—
Zach Everson,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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This could include sanctioning, censuring or suspending a judge, or recommending a judge be removed from office.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
17 Oct. 2025
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Garcia had entered the final 18 months of his Barca deal and sporting director Deco was not opposed to sanctioning a sale for a player who was at risk of leaving for free in the following two summer windows.—
Pol Ballús,
New York Times,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Among the changes are proposals to raise fines for violating vacation rental rules, allowing for more sidewalk dining in Old Town and permitting more housing near MCS Miramar.—
Karen Billing,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Nov. 2025
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When comparing 2000 and 2025 data, San Jose’s permitting activity has dropped 68%.—
Devan Patel,
Mercury News,
29 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Legitimizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/legitimizing. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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