as in authorizing
to make something real, accepted, or official
slang words legitimized by usage
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Recent Examples of legitimizing
The mayor himself will arrive this morning ahead of his afternoon one-on-one with Leo, the first American — and Chicago-born — pope, whose advocacy on immigrant rights and historic apology on Monday for the Holy See’s role in legitimizing slavery will be top of the list for Johnson to discuss.
—
Alice Yin,
Chicago Tribune,
28 May 2026
Strong suggests legitimizing and standardizing station tattoos, making a design readily available if deputies want to pay homage to their workplace, as other departments across the nation do.
—
Sierra Van Der Brug,
Daily News,
28 May 2026
Its historic proximity to success is a legitimizing anchor for the movement.
—
Katie Thornton,
Harpers Magazine,
26 May 2026
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
Alice Yin,
Chicago Tribune,
28 May 2026
Strong suggests legitimizing and standardizing station tattoos, making a design readily available if deputies want to pay homage to their workplace, as other departments across the nation do.
—
Sierra Van Der Brug,
Daily News,
28 May 2026
Its historic proximity to success is a legitimizing anchor for the movement.
—
Katie Thornton,
Harpers Magazine,
26 May 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for legitimizing
Verb
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However, because agentic systems can execute actions independently, an error can become a severe operational failure, such as authorizing fraudulent transactions or deleting mission-critical databases.
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Rather than authorizing private helipads citywide, the amendment would apply only to the industrial zoning district on Terminal Island, where Griffin’s marina is under construction.
Verb
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The observatory was named for fast-flying swift birds due to its ability to pivot rapidly to look at cosmic events and afterglows, enabling the study of comets, gravitational waves and black holes over long periods of time.
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The system provides high-performance 3D perception while maintaining low power consumption, enabling robots to detect and interact with complex environments more accurately.
Verb
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Increasingly, the focus must shift toward continuously validating the humans interacting with those systems.
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At its best, the film rebuffs standard-issue 1950s heteronormativity, validating queerness at a moment when the Motion Picture Production Code forbade explicit reference to it.
Verb
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The ruling gave hijras official status as a minority community, entitling them to various forms of government assistance.
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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.
Verb
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As girls’ flag football surges and flag readies for a starring role at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, state officials brace for a broader debate over sanctioning boys’ flag statewide.
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Big 12 administrators also met to consider sanctioning Texas Tech or Sorsby.
Verb
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Energy infrastructure, workforce development, permitting processes, and supply chain visibility all become critical enablers.
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The university would still need to abide by permitting and regulatory requirements for developments.
Cite this Entry
“Legitimizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/legitimizing. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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