delegitimize

verb

de·​le·​git·​i·​mize ˌdē-lə-ˈji-tə-ˌmīz How to pronounce delegitimize (audio)
delegitimized; delegitimizing; delegitimizes

transitive verb

: to diminish or destroy the legitimacy, prestige, or authority of
delegitimize a government
delegitimization noun

Examples of delegitimize in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
But while elections officials in more than a dozen swing-state counties said safeguards are in place to prevent interference, they and elections experts warned of a bigger threat: delegitimizing the process. Phoebe Petrovic, ProPublica, 16 Oct. 2024 McConnell, whose brief was authored by former Attorney General Bill Barr and other lawyers, argued in support of the DOJ, saying that the lower court undermined congressional authority by delegitimizing Congress’s passage of the spending bill. Ashley Oliver, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 10 Oct. 2024 America is now facing turmoil common in the classical world: an assassination attempt, the use of legal assaults to delegitimize or even remove political opponents, the overthrow of a sitting leader by his own supporters, wars raging or threatened at nearly every edge of our sphere of influence. Jeremy Wayne Tate, National Review, 1 Sep. 2024 And any widespread disinformation campaign targeting battleground states has the potential to tip the scales or delegitimize election results. Michael Vandergriff, TIME, 11 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for delegitimize 

Word History

First Known Use

1968, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of delegitimize was in 1968

Dictionary Entries Near delegitimize

Cite this Entry

“Delegitimize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/delegitimize. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.

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