as in authorizing
to make something real, accepted, or official
slang words legitimized by usage
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Recent Examples of legitimizing
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
The clean prose, self-criticism, and psychological insight give Young Man in a Hurry a reason to exist beyond legitimizing a book tour through the early-primary and swing states.
—Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 24 Feb. 2026
What role did the press play in legitimizing American action in the Spanish American War and also bringing it to an end?
—Fiction Non Fiction, Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026
Companies have been forced to navigate a complex environment in which continuing operations risks legitimizing the junta, while withdrawal raises fears of mass job losses in an already devastated economy.
—Mayu Saini, Sourcing Journal, 22 Dec. 2025
Thus, peace in Ukraine will require a global effort to combat disinformation legitimizing Russia’s aggression and obscuring its war crimes.
—Valerie Morkevicius, The Conversation, 15 Dec. 2025
This refers to malicious actors impersonating a legitimate software package or extension to trick an unwitting coder—or now, an AI—into downloading a malicious one instead, usually by slightly tweaking the name and legitimizing it with fake reviews.
—Sage Lazzaro, Fortune, 15 Dec. 2025
The resolution could prove key to legitimizing a transitional governance body for Gaza and reassuring countries that are considering sending troops to the region.
—Kim Hjelmgaard, USA Today, 18 Nov. 2025
Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
What hurts the Cuban people is legitimizing it.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 17 Mar. 2026
The clean prose, self-criticism, and psychological insight give Young Man in a Hurry a reason to exist beyond legitimizing a book tour through the early-primary and swing states.
—Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 24 Feb. 2026
What role did the press play in legitimizing American action in the Spanish American War and also bringing it to an end?
—Fiction Non Fiction, Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026
Companies have been forced to navigate a complex environment in which continuing operations risks legitimizing the junta, while withdrawal raises fears of mass job losses in an already devastated economy.
—Mayu Saini, Sourcing Journal, 22 Dec. 2025
Thus, peace in Ukraine will require a global effort to combat disinformation legitimizing Russia’s aggression and obscuring its war crimes.
—Valerie Morkevicius, The Conversation, 15 Dec. 2025
This refers to malicious actors impersonating a legitimate software package or extension to trick an unwitting coder—or now, an AI—into downloading a malicious one instead, usually by slightly tweaking the name and legitimizing it with fake reviews.
—Sage Lazzaro, Fortune, 15 Dec. 2025
The resolution could prove key to legitimizing a transitional governance body for Gaza and reassuring countries that are considering sending troops to the region.
—Kim Hjelmgaard, USA Today, 18 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for legitimizing
Verb
-
Negotiations between Israel and Lebanon are expected to begin Tuesday in Washington, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun’s office has said, after Israel's surprise announcement authorizing talks despite the countries lack of official relations.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Israel and Lebanon will have direct negotiations Negotiations between Israel and Lebanon are expected to begin Tuesday in Washington, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun’s office said Friday, after Israel’s surprise announcement authorizing talks despite the countries lack of official relations.—
Munir Ahmed,
Fortune,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Anthropic, whose policies bar it from enabling fully autonomous weapons or domestic mass surveillance, resisted on these points, slowing negotiations for an overhauled deal.—
Ronan Farrow,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
-
That was one of the Current’s biggest departures, enabling them to pay $1 million to acquire star attacker Croix Bethune from the Washington Spirit.—
PJ Green
April 5,
Kansas City Star,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Active parents tend to be aware of their children’s emotional state, validating their reasons for being upset, happy, or angry, and responding with empathy.—
Taylor Grothe,
Parents,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Our community is completely inclusive and validating.—
Lisa Deaderick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
-
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
-
The central and longest section presents the Guru’s grievances against Aurangzeb in the style of a Sufi pir (spiritual guide) addressing a deviant murid (disciple), indicting the emperor for violating the oath and sanctioning the murder of Gobind Singh’s sons.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
9 Apr. 2026
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The Nevada County public defender’s office and the nonprofit Civil Rights Corps asked the state appeals court to investigate the matter, and to consider sanctioning Wilson’s office for submitting the false citations.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
To streamline inspections and permitting, some have even advocated for merging DSI with the city’s Department of Planning and Economic Development.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
5 Apr. 2026
-
The law discriminates based on viewpoint, permitting expressions of acceptance and support for a client’s self-identity while forbidding expressions that attempt to change it.—
Kevin Cope,
The Conversation,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Legitimizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/legitimizing. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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