as in lawfulness
the quality or state of being legal
the legitimacy of the military dictatorship was not recognized by most other nations
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 legitimacy
As a member of the president’s foreign policy team, Cohen helped maintain the legitimacy of America’s military amid the partisan fireworks that defined the Clinton era.
—
Time, 1 July 2025
None of these cases addressed the underlying problems with legitimacy.
—Andreas Kluth, Mercury News, 28 June 2025
Regardless of the legitimacy of this assertion, questions have long surrounded Perry’s relationship with industry labor.
—Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 27 June 2025
Using the military to quash peaceful protestors endangers the legitimacy of our armed forces in the eyes of the American public.
—Time, 1 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for legitimacy
Time, 1 July 2025
None of these cases addressed the underlying problems with legitimacy.
—Andreas Kluth, Mercury News, 28 June 2025
Regardless of the legitimacy of this assertion, questions have long surrounded Perry’s relationship with industry labor.
—Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 27 June 2025
Using the military to quash peaceful protestors endangers the legitimacy of our armed forces in the eyes of the American public.
—Time, 1 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for legitimacy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for legitimacy
legality
Noun
-
That agreement was the culmination of a lawsuit filed in February 2018 in San Diego federal court against the first Trump administration that initially centered on the legality of separating migrant parents and children who arrived at the U.S.-Mexico border.—
Alex Riggins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 July 2025
-
In Tuesday's vote, Carey looked to clarify the legality of the initial agreement after it was signed by the chief of police, instead of City Manager Brian Barroso.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
10 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Legitimacy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/legitimacy. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share