legitimately
adverb
le·git·i·mate·ly
li-ˈji-tə-mət-lē 
: in a legitimate manner : according to what is lawful, permitted, appropriate, or reasonable
money earned legitimately [=legally]
a question that can be legitimately asked
… objects of ritual significance that were common tribal property seldom if ever could have come legitimately into nontribal hands.—
Robert McC. Adams
Robert McC. AdamsThe other kind of steroids are the potent inflammation fighters widely and legitimately used to treat dozens of illnesses.—Paul G. Donohue
Paul G. Donohue… several objections to their book can legitimately be raised.—Christopher Lehmann-Haupt
Christopher Lehmann-HauptExamples of legitimately in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
On the July 27, 2015, episode of Raw, Rollins' knee strike legitimately broke Cena's nose during a match.
—Andrew Ravens, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 June 2025
For example, my extended play session with Welcome Tour taught me more legitimately interesting tidbits about the system, like how the narrower kickstand saves space to put more guts in the tablet.
—Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 5 June 2025
There is nobody in the state of Maryland or elsewhere who can legitimately question my commitment to these issues, right?
—David Weigel, semafor.com, 5 June 2025
Regardless, if structured properly and legitimately, the tax-efficiency and privacy protections offered by the FAPT can be significant.
—Priya Prakash Royal Esq. Ll.m. Mba Aep Tep, Forbes.com, 1 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for legitimately
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Andrew Ravens, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 June 2025
For example, my extended play session with Welcome Tour taught me more legitimately interesting tidbits about the system, like how the narrower kickstand saves space to put more guts in the tablet.
—Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 5 June 2025
There is nobody in the state of Maryland or elsewhere who can legitimately question my commitment to these issues, right?
—David Weigel, semafor.com, 5 June 2025
Regardless, if structured properly and legitimately, the tax-efficiency and privacy protections offered by the FAPT can be significant.
—Priya Prakash Royal Esq. Ll.m. Mba Aep Tep, Forbes.com, 1 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for legitimately
Cite this Entry
“Legitimately.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/legitimately. Accessed 15 Jun. 2025.
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