as in to enable
to make something real, accepted, or official
slang words legitimized by usage
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Recent Examples of legitimize
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
Trump signed the Genius Act in July, legislation that legitimized the technology.
—Carlos Garcia, Fortune, 27 Jan. 2026
As a political philosopher concerned with the moral analysis of international relations, I am deeply troubled by this vision of warfare – and by the moral justifications used to legitimize the making of war.
—Michael Blake, The Conversation, 26 Jan. 2026
The Goetz saga proved just how effectively narratives of crime, and outright misinformation, could be used to discredit government, justify inequality, and legitimize extrajudicial violence—all while claiming the mantle of common sense.
—Heather Ann Thompson, The Atlantic, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for legitimize
Fiction Non Fiction, Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026
Trump signed the Genius Act in July, legislation that legitimized the technology.
—Carlos Garcia, Fortune, 27 Jan. 2026
As a political philosopher concerned with the moral analysis of international relations, I am deeply troubled by this vision of warfare – and by the moral justifications used to legitimize the making of war.
—Michael Blake, The Conversation, 26 Jan. 2026
The Goetz saga proved just how effectively narratives of crime, and outright misinformation, could be used to discredit government, justify inequality, and legitimize extrajudicial violence—all while claiming the mantle of common sense.
—Heather Ann Thompson, The Atlantic, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for legitimize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for legitimize
Verb
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Overall, the system aims to prioritize safety, enable worker collaboration, and maintain regulatory compliance without limiting work areas.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Feb. 2026
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The way the service will work is that once a connection is made, the person with the T-Mobile account enters a few digits on their phone (*87* to be exact) and that will enable the real-time translation service on the network.—
Bob O'Donnell,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Michael Nagle | Bloomberg | Getty Images Estee Lauder sued Walmart in California federal court over allegations the big-box retailer sold counterfeit beauty products on its website and didn’t do enough to ensure only authorized and authentic merchandise was offered to consumers.—
Gabrielle Fonrouge,
CNBC,
10 Feb. 2026
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The sources spoke to The Times on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to discuss the case.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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However, city spokesman Erik Johnson said the city clerk requires 30 days to validate petitions to ensure a sufficient number of signatures are from qualified voters — and the deadline for Austin City Council to call a May election is on Friday.—
Chaya Tong,
Austin American Statesman,
11 Feb. 2026
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These tests validated the test vehicle’s structural reliability and integrity ahead of upcoming flight tests.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Each Participant acknowledges and agrees that such Participant will not be entitled to any compensation as a result of any Search Entity’s use of any such similar or identical material.—
Time,
Time,
10 Feb. 2026
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The referrals of positive drug tests to law enforcement agencies could help build the case for recognizing a fetus as a separate person entitled to equal protection, said University of California Davis law professor Mary Ziegler.—
Shoshana Walter,
CBS News,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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These programs were designed to provide tax credits to legitimate businesses for employment taxes and wages.—
Chase Jordan
January 10,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Jan. 2026
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Post-Europe is a response to this seemingly repetitive situation and the increasing tendency of legitimating a nationalist and fascist discourse.—
Daniel Birnbaum,
Artforum,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The irony is not lost on either of the Malacinskis that were the women allowed, Annika would have no trouble qualifying.—
Dana ONeil,
CNN Money,
10 Feb. 2026
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Back then, the average team still featured three starters who threw enough innings to qualify for the ERA title, probably had an ace who blew past 200 innings and had multiple pitchers with double-digit wins.—
Jayson Stark,
New York Times,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The office had planned to redirect the $30,000 to fund other grant priorities, which is permitted under its agreement with the FMCSA, Burnham said.—
Talia Soglin,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
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The Pima County Sheriff’s Office is the primary investigative agency in the search for Nancy Guthrie, with the FBI only permitted to take part if requested by local officials.—
Michael Ruiz , Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Legitimize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/legitimize. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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