as in lawfulness
the quality or state of being legal
the legitimacy of the military dictatorship was not recognized by most other nations
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Recent Examples of legitimacy
In particular, the diverse ways that states choose to administer elections have become a central focus of those who seek to question the legitimacy of electoral processes.
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Jenna Bednar, Foreign Affairs, 5 Nov. 2024
In his town hall events and social media posts, Musk has also spread misleading claims casting doubt on the legitimacy of the election.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 4 Nov. 2024
The message was clear: Even if your group is defined by targeting innocent people, the Biden-Harris White House will bestow the same legitimacy upon you as any nation-state by granting you a seat at the negotiating table.
—Pat Fallon, National Review, 3 Nov. 2024
Democrats view the strategy as aimed at sowing doubt on the legitimacy of the election to lay the groundwork for ultimately contesting the results.
—Zach Schonfeld, The Hill, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for legitimacy 
Jenna Bednar, Foreign Affairs, 5 Nov. 2024
In his town hall events and social media posts, Musk has also spread misleading claims casting doubt on the legitimacy of the election.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 4 Nov. 2024
The message was clear: Even if your group is defined by targeting innocent people, the Biden-Harris White House will bestow the same legitimacy upon you as any nation-state by granting you a seat at the negotiating table.
—Pat Fallon, National Review, 3 Nov. 2024
Democrats view the strategy as aimed at sowing doubt on the legitimacy of the election to lay the groundwork for ultimately contesting the results.
—Zach Schonfeld, The Hill, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for legitimacy
Thesaurus Entries Near legitimacy
Cite this Entry
“Legitimacy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/legitimacy. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.
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