LEGITIMIZING Synonyms: 40 Similar and Opposite Words

legitimizing

verb

present participle of legitimize

as in authorizing

to make something real, accepted, or official slang words legitimized by usage

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of legitimizing The company is abandoning the $799 price point, with the Pixel 11 expected to start at $899 for 256GB storage, legitimizing a wider industry shift to higher base storage and prices. — Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026 There is no formal consensus, however, and no faction willing to move first on anything that could be portrayed as surrendering leverage, legitimizing the bombing campaign, or handing Trump a clear victory. — Sanam Vakil, Time, 16 July 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for legitimizing

Verb

In July, the Western District of Louisiana issued an order authorizing the court, instead of the habeas petitioners, to serve defendants copies of the lawsuit.

— Carla Astudillo, ProPublica, 3 Sep. 2026
Lawmakers unanimously approved a bill authorizing the $1 increase in 2023, as thefts were surging across the state, according to The Texas Tribune.

— Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of authorizing

Verb

Shortening the distance between them, Apple says, alleviates data bottlenecks among the CPU, GPU, and Neural Engine, enabling better sustained multitasking performance and unlocking new capabilities for running local AI models.

— Brian Westover, PC Magazine, 10 Sep. 2026
Reid Wiseman and Victor Glover are the first astronauts to join NASA’s emeritus program, enabling them to continue to support the work being done at Johnson Space Center in Houston.

— Robert Pearlman, ArsTechnica, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of enabling

Verb

Carrie Esopenko, co-director of the TBI and Concussion Center and also part of the research group, says the research is still at the early stages of validating the biological mechanisms.

— Mirin Fader, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
This includes establishing consistent measurement standards across platforms, consolidating fragmented reporting, validating incoming data and improving data freshness.

— Roman Vrublivskyi, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of validating

Verb

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
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

Definition of entitling

Verb

The new position is likely to be welcomed by many Labor voters and lawmakers, who have urged the government to go further in sanctioning Israel and supporting the Palestinians.

— Jill Lawless, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026
The tougher stance is likely to be welcomed by many Labour voters and lawmakers, who have urged the government to go further in sanctioning Israel and supporting the Palestinians.

— ABC News, ABC News, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of sanctioning

Verb

Californian supporters of the Fix Our Forests Act argue the problem has more to do with permitting delays than finances.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026
However, there's a limited number of infrastructure opportunities coming to market due to constraints such as permitting timelines and construction complexity, Dock said.

— Hayley Cuccinello, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of permitting

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legitimizing

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“Legitimizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/legitimizing. Accessed 14 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of legitimizing

verb

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