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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Recent Examples of legitimacy
Such a forum helped give Shara’s transitional government a veneer of legitimacy as well as integrate peripheral actors who might otherwise remain alienated and could act as spoilers.
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Jerome Drevon, Foreign Affairs, 11 Apr. 2025
To protect China’s long-term economic growth – on which the Communist Party government’s legitimacy lies – China’s leader Xi Jinping may have to change course, and take bolder steps to boost consumption at home.
—Ann Scott Tyson, Christian Science Monitor, 8 Apr. 2025
This caused a stir within the hiking and ultra running community, leading some to question the legitimacy of Leininger’s FKT.
—Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Apr. 2025
Allen said the university investigation also neglected to include any interviews of colleagues who could vouch for the legitimacy of Zane’s trips and the research involved.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for legitimacy
Jerome Drevon, Foreign Affairs, 11 Apr. 2025
To protect China’s long-term economic growth – on which the Communist Party government’s legitimacy lies – China’s leader Xi Jinping may have to change course, and take bolder steps to boost consumption at home.
—Ann Scott Tyson, Christian Science Monitor, 8 Apr. 2025
This caused a stir within the hiking and ultra running community, leading some to question the legitimacy of Leininger’s FKT.
—Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Apr. 2025
Allen said the university investigation also neglected to include any interviews of colleagues who could vouch for the legitimacy of Zane’s trips and the research involved.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for legitimacy
Cite this Entry
“Legitimacy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/legitimacy. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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