legitimate 1 of 2

adjective

li-ˈji-tə-mət How to pronounce legitimate (audio)
Definition of legitimatenext
as in legal
permitted by law the mistrust created among investors by the financial scandal has hurt even companies engaged in wholly legitimate business practices

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

legitimate

2 of 2

verb

as in to legitimize

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How is the word legitimate different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of legitimate are lawful, legal, and licit. While all these words mean "being in accordance with law," legitimate may apply to a legal right or status but also, in extended use, to a right or status supported by tradition, custom, or accepted standards.

a perfectly legitimate question about taxes

When is it sensible to use lawful instead of legitimate?

The synonyms lawful and legitimate are sometimes interchangeable, but lawful may apply to conformity with law of any sort (such as natural, divine, common, or canon).

the lawful sovereign

When can legal be used instead of legitimate?

While in some cases nearly identical to legitimate, legal applies to what is sanctioned by law or in conformity with the law, especially as it is written or administered by the courts.

legal residents of the state

In what contexts can licit take the place of legitimate?

Although the words licit and legitimate have much in common, licit applies to a strict conformity to the provisions of the law and applies especially to what is regulated by law.

the licit use of drugs by doctors

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of legitimate
Adjective
In the past, a weakened judiciary was closely aligned with the military, which typically used it to legitimate military coups through provisional constitutional orders. —Syed Fazl-E-Haider, Foreign Affairs, 20 Apr. 2017 In response, elites double down, weaponizing the claim of misinformation to legitimate the stifling of debate. —Jacob Hale Russell, TIME, 4 Mar. 2025
Verb
To be sure, there are legitimate arguments for both sides of these questions. —Douglas Schoen, Oc Register, 13 July 2025 Attackers also uploaded counterfeit Python packages mimicking legitimate ChatGPT tools to deceive developers and exploit the popularity of AI development. —Bojan Šimić, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for legitimate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for legitimate
  1. legal
  2. legitimize
  3. justifiable
  4. validate
  5. lawful
  6. sanction
  7. privilege
  8. warrant
Adjective
  • While the ethics of true crime are often criticized nowadays, the First Amendment makes retelling these stories legal.
    — John J. Lennon, Rolling Stone, 19 July 2025
  • Trump has already appeared in legal documents concerning the late billionaire, but never in a way that implicates him in any crime.
    — Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 19 July 2025
Definition of legal
Verb
  • President Donald Trump on Friday will sign into law a new set of regulations for a type of cryptocurrency that are seen as a way to legitimize the burgeoning industry.
    — Seung Min Kim, Chicago Tribune, 18 July 2025
  • In addition to breaking new ground technologically, New Orleans is innovating on program structure, proposing novel data-sharing agreements to legitimize the Project NOLA model.
    — Logan Seacrest, Boston Herald, 16 July 2025
Definition of legitimize
Adjective
  • Unlike earlier studies that uncovered evasion or deception, this research exposed a more alarming phenomenon: models calculating that unethical behavior was a justifiable strategy for survival.
    — Hamilton Mann, Forbes.com, 29 June 2025
  • Murder, then, has already been established as a justifiable means of protection.
    — Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 27 June 2025
Definition of justifiable
Verb
  • An Eastern Conference scout said specific statistics validate the eye test.
    — Tobias Bass, New York Times, 22 July 2025
  • That’s 81 percent, apparently validating Musk’s intuition about his constituency.
    — Joseph Thorndike, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025
Definition of validate
Adjective
  • There are themes of this ideology expressed in today’s Republican political administration through ICE activities which include wider deportation reach, rapid deportation and crackdown on lawful immigrants.
    — Dr. Howard A. Selinger, Hartford Courant, 20 July 2025
  • The law imposes strict compliance obligations on both domestic and foreign issuers, including the ability to freeze or seize assets in response to lawful orders.
    — Becca Bratcher, Forbes.com, 19 July 2025
Definition of lawful
Verb
  • Under the ‘India Semiconductor Mission’, the government has sanctioned five semiconductor manufacturing units, securing a total investment of USD 18.15 billion by 2024, marking a significant milestone in India's semiconductor manufacturing ambitions and boosting the local ecosystem​.
    — Sarwant Singh, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
  • The State Department also sanctioned Cuban Defense Minister Álvaro López Miera and Interior Minister Lázaro Alberto Álvarez Casas.
    — arkansasonline.com, arkansasonline.com, 13 July 2025
Definition of sanction
Verb
  • Instead of lifting wages systemically, Congress is opting to privilege a narrow slice of income for a narrow subset of workers, conditioned on proper paperwork.
    — Andrew Leahey, Forbes.com, 20 July 2025
  • The Rebellion artists thought the rhythm of life was absent from cinema, which privileged, at that moment in film history, stereotype and fantasy.
    — Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 14 June 2025
Definition of privilege
Verb
  • Discoveries, medical breakthroughs and famous sports games warranted articles.
    — Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 18 July 2025
  • Removing that authority from the ATF and reinstating a path toward restoration of rights through the Attorney General's Office is warranted, commendable, and long overdue.
    — Mandy Taheri Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 July 2025
Definition of warrant

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legitimacy
legitimate
legitimated
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Cite this Entry

“Legitimate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/legitimate. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

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Nglish: Translation of legitimate for Spanish Speakers

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