as in lawfulness
the quality or state of being legal
the legitimacy of the military dictatorship was not recognized by most other nations
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of legitimacy
Johnson understands what this week signifies — with this playoff stage providing the opportunity to stamp greater legitimacy on the season.
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Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
When power is taken from the outside, domestic institutions struggle to assert authority, legitimacy is contested and responsibility diffuses just when clarity is needed.
—Cristina Guevara, Chicago Tribune, 7 Jan. 2026
As the post gained traction online, its legitimacy also came into question.
—Lauren Wilson, NBC news, 7 Jan. 2026
Some, like Hamilton, strained for legitimacy in the rites and practices of monarchy.
—Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for legitimacy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for legitimacy
Noun
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Legal experts raised questions about the lawfulness of the operation, which was done without congressional approval.—
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But the judges also raised serious doubts about the lawfulness of deployments of other cities.—
Noun
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The Supreme Court’s decision on the legality of many of those levies could be announced as soon as today.—
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The legality of Illinois' law was not at issue in the case.—
Cite this Entry
“Legitimacy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/legitimacy. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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