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
Ultimately, the new Damascus government’s legitimacy will be based on a Salafi interpretation of Islam and majoritarian rule.
—
Fawaz A. Gerges, Foreign Affairs, 27 Jan. 2025
The Innocence Project of Tennessee took on Minton’s case, and a judge vacated his conviction after a Dec. 10 hearing in which experts contested the legitimacy of Minton’s confession and the woman’s identification of him.
—Olivia Lloyd, Charlotte Observer, 24 Jan. 2025
The treatment the companies were marketing was experimental, but its promoters had the veneer of legitimacy.
—John Carreyrou, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2025
The legitimacy of the designer’s creations is clear in look one, a leather overcoat paired with lush matching trousers.
—Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 23 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for legitimacy 
Fawaz A. Gerges, Foreign Affairs, 27 Jan. 2025
The Innocence Project of Tennessee took on Minton’s case, and a judge vacated his conviction after a Dec. 10 hearing in which experts contested the legitimacy of Minton’s confession and the woman’s identification of him.
—Olivia Lloyd, Charlotte Observer, 24 Jan. 2025
The treatment the companies were marketing was experimental, but its promoters had the veneer of legitimacy.
—John Carreyrou, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2025
The legitimacy of the designer’s creations is clear in look one, a leather overcoat paired with lush matching trousers.
—Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 23 Jan. 2025
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 22 Feb. 2025.
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