as in authorizing
to make something real, accepted, or official
slang words legitimized by usage
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Recent Examples of legitimizing
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
The international community must act responsibly, avoid falling for false narratives and distorted information and refrain from legitimizing a biased and unprofessional report.
—Beth Bailey, FOXNews.com, 22 Dec. 2025
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
Listening does not mean legitimizing hate.
—Kerry Kennedy, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Nov. 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
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
The international community must act responsibly, avoid falling for false narratives and distorted information and refrain from legitimizing a biased and unprofessional report.
—Beth Bailey, FOXNews.com, 22 Dec. 2025
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
Listening does not mean legitimizing hate.
—Kerry Kennedy, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Nov. 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
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Eleanor and Burgess’ view Congress has not shown a genuine bipartisan interest in authorizing military action beforehand since 2013, when the Senate tried to pass an authorization to strike Syria.—
Eleanor Mueller,
semafor.com,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Joseph also wrote that his department has revised its policies for authorizing and logging plate data requests to require more information from outside agencies.—
Robert Salonga,
Mercury News,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Governments must rethink pension systems not simply as transfer mechanisms but as platforms enabling active participation.—
Klaus Schwab,
Time,
1 Mar. 2026
-
Last month, Elon Musk’s company xAI signed an agreement enabling its Grok model to operate within secure US military environments.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Name Their Feelings Naming a child's feelings is validating and can diffuse or prevent conflicts.—
Vicki Glembocki,
Parents,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Was this a validating experience for Guerin’s picks?—
Joe Smith,
New York Times,
28 Feb. 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
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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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Washington is ramping up pressure on Tehran, amassing aircraft and warships in the Middle East, and sanctioning more than 30 entities that support Iranian oil and weapons sales.—
J.D. Capelouto,
semafor.com,
26 Feb. 2026
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The House Ethics Committee launched its own probe into the Nevada Democrat that December and made public its exhaustive, 187-page report sanctioning Kihuen nearly a full year later, shortly before Kihuen’s term was set to end.—
Bayliss Wagner,
San Antonio Express-News,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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State regulators and the company have a history of permitting mistakes and violations, complicating safety oversight.—
Sarah Henry,
AZCentral.com,
1 Mar. 2026
-
The deal aligns Grok with the Defense Department’s standard terms, permitting use of the model for any lawful purpose and creating a formal pathway for deployment beyond unclassified systems.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
1 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Legitimizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/legitimizing. Accessed 4 Mar. 2026.
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