legitimate 1 of 2

adjective

li-ˈji-tə-mət How to pronounce legitimate (audio)
Definition of legitimatenext
as in legal
permitted by law the mistrust created among investors by the financial scandal has hurt even companies engaged in wholly legitimate business practices

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

legitimate

2 of 2

verb

as in to legitimize

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How is the word legitimate different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of legitimate are lawful, legal, and licit. While all these words mean "being in accordance with law," legitimate may apply to a legal right or status but also, in extended use, to a right or status supported by tradition, custom, or accepted standards.

a perfectly legitimate question about taxes

When is it sensible to use lawful instead of legitimate?

The synonyms lawful and legitimate are sometimes interchangeable, but lawful may apply to conformity with law of any sort (such as natural, divine, common, or canon).

the lawful sovereign

When can legal be used instead of legitimate?

While in some cases nearly identical to legitimate, legal applies to what is sanctioned by law or in conformity with the law, especially as it is written or administered by the courts.

legal residents of the state

In what contexts can licit take the place of legitimate?

Although the words licit and legitimate have much in common, licit applies to a strict conformity to the provisions of the law and applies especially to what is regulated by law.

the licit use of drugs by doctors

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 legitimate
Adjective
In response, elites double down, weaponizing the claim of misinformation to legitimate the stifling of debate. —Jacob Hale Russell, TIME, 4 Mar. 2025 The best security feels effortless to legitimate users while remaining impenetrable to attackers. —Jitender Jain, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
Verb
To be sure, there are legitimate arguments for both sides of these questions. —Douglas Schoen, Oc Register, 13 July 2025 Attackers also uploaded counterfeit Python packages mimicking legitimate ChatGPT tools to deceive developers and exploit the popularity of AI development. —Bojan Šimić, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for legitimate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for legitimate
  1. legal
  2. legitimize
  3. justifiable
  4. validate
  5. lawful
  6. sanction
  7. privilege
  8. warrant
Adjective
  • Collective operators railed against possibly being shut down by the CSC and the stage seemed set for a legal challenge.
    — Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 31 July 2025
  • As Christians around the world face mounting legal and cultural threats for expressing their faith, the Graham family is stepping up efforts to defend freedom of speech and religion through both financial support and public advocacy.
    — Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 31 July 2025
Definition of legal
Verb
  • Such recognition is not a step toward peace, but rather a clear violation of international law and a dangerous moral and political failure that legitimizes horrific war crimes.
    — Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 30 July 2025
  • Rather than directly addressing substantive complaints, the defenders implemented procedural reforms consistent with the order’s liberal legitimizing logic.
    — STACIE E. GODDARD, Foreign Affairs, 28 July 2025
Definition of legitimize
Adjective
  • No criminal charges were filed at the time because investigators determined that the shooting was justifiable, as Walker had fired at cops first.
    — Nicole Acosta, People.com, 22 July 2025
  • Certainly, Nvidia trades at about 40x forward earnings, which is justifiable considering that the company is set to increase revenues by 55% according to consensus estimates.
    — Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 16 July 2025
Definition of justifiable
Verb
  • Others validated her experience in the comments section.
    — Victoria Elena Valenzuela, USA Today, 2 Aug. 2025
  • Or maybe this group makes a deep playoff run, validates the front office’s approach and makes all the critics look foolish.
    — Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2025
Definition of validate
Adjective
  • Villanueva, residing in Long Beach, is a lawful permanent resident of the Philippines, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California.
    — Landon Mion , Matt Finn, FOXNews.com, 2 Aug. 2025
  • About 95% of these new Florida residents were admitted as lawful permanent residents, or green card holders.
    — Matt Brooks, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Aug. 2025
Definition of lawful
Verb
  • Ukraine's latest hit on one of Russia's largest manufacturers of radio electronics which is sanctioned by the EU will deliver a blow to Moscow's military capabilities.
    — Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 July 2025
  • To that end, the World Boxing Council, the World Boxing Association, the World Boxing Organization and the International Boxing Federation would continue to oversee and schedule events as the major organizations for sanctioning pro boxing.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 23 July 2025
Definition of sanction
Verb
  • Instead of lifting wages systemically, Congress is opting to privilege a narrow slice of income for a narrow subset of workers, conditioned on proper paperwork.
    — Andrew Leahey, Forbes.com, 20 July 2025
  • The Rebellion artists thought the rhythm of life was absent from cinema, which privileged, at that moment in film history, stereotype and fantasy.
    — Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 14 June 2025
Definition of privilege
Verb
  • Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem determined that conditions in their home country no longer warranted protections.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 1 Aug. 2025
  • Economists warn the latest figures may be painting a more upbeat picture of the economy than warranted.
    — Kristina Karisch, The Hill, 31 July 2025
Definition of warrant

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legitimacy
legitimate
legitimated
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Cite this Entry

“Legitimate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/legitimate. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.

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Nglish: Translation of legitimate for Spanish Speakers

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