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
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.
Nothing delegitimizes authoritarian leaders more than defeat. Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2024 Most recently, the Knesset’s ban on the UN Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA’s operations in the West Bank and Gaza not only ensures a deepening humanitarian crisis but also aims to delegitimize Palestinians’ refugee status and claims to their original homes and lands. John Spencer, Foreign Affairs, 18 Nov. 2024 She was forced to abandon her positive campaigning and concentrate instead on delegitimizing Trump as unfit and extreme. Matthew Continetti, National Review, 2 Nov. 2024 This does not mean that efforts to delegitimize the results of the election—or the possibility that antidemocratic forces may try to mount a sustained attack on the electoral system—should be taken lightly. Jenna Bednar, Foreign Affairs, 5 Nov. 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 25 Dec. 2024.

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