legitimize

verb

le·​git·​i·​mize li-ˈji-tə-ˌmīz How to pronounce legitimize (audio)
legitimized; legitimizing
legitimization noun
legitimizer noun

Examples of legitimize 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.
The ratification announcement was the culmination of a decade-long effort by American Single Malt producers to legitimize a style of whiskey that was self-governed and, for all intents and purposes, already standardized. Chris Perugini, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025 These comments come as Donald Trump’s incoming administration is expected to take steps to further legitimize digital assets. Rocio Fabbro, Quartz, 13 Jan. 2025 Often when an academic writes about a cultural phenomenon that exists outside the mainstream consciousness, there’s an attempt to explain it as a means to legitimize it. J Wortham, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2025 In contrast, the two exhibitions demonstrate the role played by Swiss scientists and academics in Zurich and Geneva in concocting race theories about Indigenous people that helped legitimize the colonial system. Percy Zvomuya, Artforum, 1 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for legitimize 

Word History

First Known Use

1646, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of legitimize was in 1646

Dictionary Entries Near legitimize

Cite this Entry

“Legitimize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/legitimize. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

legitimize

verb
le·​git·​i·​mize li-ˈjit-ə-ˌmīz How to pronounce legitimize (audio)
legitimized; legitimizing

Legal Definition

legitimize

transitive verb
le·​git·​i·​mize lə-ˈji-tə-ˌmīz How to pronounce legitimize (audio)
legitimized; legitimizing
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