as in authorizing
to make something real, accepted, or official
slang words legitimized by usage
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Recent Examples of legitimizing
Institutions that once prided themselves on filtering out this kind of rhetoric are now legitimizing it.
—
Alma Hernandez, New York Daily News, 1 May 2026
Critics caution the pope against allowing the government to exploit his presence, warning his visit risks legitimizing the regime’s abuses while offering only symbolic appeals for peace.
—Nicole Winfield, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2026
There is a difference in legitimizing a person’s agenda versus finding common ground.
—Torie Bosch, STAT, 11 Apr. 2026
Others contend that legitimizing him erodes Democratic credibility on antisemitism and other issues, handing Republicans ammunition heading into the midterms.
—Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
What hurts the Cuban people is legitimizing it.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 17 Mar. 2026
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
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
Alma Hernandez, New York Daily News, 1 May 2026
Critics caution the pope against allowing the government to exploit his presence, warning his visit risks legitimizing the regime’s abuses while offering only symbolic appeals for peace.
—Nicole Winfield, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2026
There is a difference in legitimizing a person’s agenda versus finding common ground.
—Torie Bosch, STAT, 11 Apr. 2026
Others contend that legitimizing him erodes Democratic credibility on antisemitism and other issues, handing Republicans ammunition heading into the midterms.
—Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
What hurts the Cuban people is legitimizing it.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 17 Mar. 2026
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for legitimizing
Verb
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In an unsigned one-sentence order, the Supreme Court left intact a ruling from Virginia's highest court that invalidated an amendment to the state constitution authorizing adoption of the new House district lines.—
Melissa Quinn,
CBS News,
16 May 2026
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Most states had been authorizing marijuana for medical use even before the rescheduling, and nearly half of all states also say recreational use is OK.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
9 May 2026
Verb
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The fiasco left aspiring translators in Korea, most of them people of color, with one less route into the profession, further enabling white people’s social and actual capital to be kept within their possession.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
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The new exciton-polariton platform avoided part of that problem by enabling all-optical switching, where one light signal directly controls another without converting anything into electricity.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
16 May 2026
Verb
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The data acquired from KAERI will assist in validating the safety parameters and coolant mechanics of the Natrium design for US regulatory frameworks.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
17 May 2026
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The deal would have been visible, lucrative, and validating.—
Gabriel Alin Zainescu,
Forbes.com,
17 May 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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The Florida Supreme Court should be extremely cautious about sanctioning a system where speed seems to matter more than justice.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
8 May 2026
-
But this should not be a matter of ticking off the boxes to rush an execution of someone who has a real claim of innocence, and the Supreme Court should be very cautious about sanctioning an approach where the state is prioritizing speed over the cause of justice.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Pratt slammed the city’s permitting problems.—
Samantha Masunaga,
Los Angeles Times,
17 May 2026
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Hernandez will continue competing under CIF rules permitting transgender participation and is scheduled to compete Saturday, May 16, before advancing to the CIF finals in Clovis later this month.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Legitimizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/legitimizing. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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