legitimize
verb
le·git·i·mize
li-ˈji-tə-ˌmīz 
legitimized; legitimizing
: to make legitimate : legitimate
Examples of legitimize in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Institutions that once prided themselves on filtering out this kind of rhetoric are now legitimizing it.
—
Alma Hernandez, New York Daily News, 1 May 2026
She was originally sentenced to 33 years in prison in late 2022 for several offenses that her supporters and rights groups described as attempts to discredit her and legitimize the army takeover that removed her from office, as well as to prevent her return to politics.
—ABC News, 30 Apr. 2026
Suu Kyi was originally sentenced to 33 years in prison in late 2022 for several offenses that her supporters and rights groups described as attempts to discredit her and legitimize the army takeover that removed her from office, as well as to prevent her return to politics.
—Grant Peck, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
In 2007 the Declaration of Reasonable Doubt, a digital petition to legitimize the authorship question, was spearheaded by veteran Shakespearean actors Derek Jacobi and Mark Rylance.
—Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for legitimize
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Alma Hernandez, New York Daily News, 1 May 2026
She was originally sentenced to 33 years in prison in late 2022 for several offenses that her supporters and rights groups described as attempts to discredit her and legitimize the army takeover that removed her from office, as well as to prevent her return to politics.
—ABC News, 30 Apr. 2026
Suu Kyi was originally sentenced to 33 years in prison in late 2022 for several offenses that her supporters and rights groups described as attempts to discredit her and legitimize the army takeover that removed her from office, as well as to prevent her return to politics.
—Grant Peck, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
In 2007 the Declaration of Reasonable Doubt, a digital petition to legitimize the authorship question, was spearheaded by veteran Shakespearean actors Derek Jacobi and Mark Rylance.
—Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for legitimize
Cite this Entry
“Legitimize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/legitimize. Accessed 4 May. 2026.
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Legal Definition
legitimize
transitive verb
le·git·i·mize
lə-ˈji-tə-ˌmīz
legitimized; legitimizing
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