legitimacy Definition
- 1the quality of being legal or allowed by law
- 2the quality of being reasonable and acceptable
- 3the quality of being based on valid reasoning or evidence
Using legitimacy: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "legitimacy" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
The legitimacy of the government's actions was questioned by the opposition party.
Example
The legitimacy of the election results was confirmed by the independent observers.
Example
The company's legitimacy was called into question after the scandal.
legitimacy Synonyms and Antonyms
Synonyms for legitimacy
Antonyms for legitimacy
Phrases with legitimacy
to doubt or challenge the legality, authenticity, or validity of something
Example
Many people questioned the legitimacy of the election results.
to prove or confirm the legality, authenticity, or validity of something
Example
The court ruling established the legitimacy of the new law.
the rightfulness or justification of those in power to exercise their authority
Example
The legitimacy of power is often a topic of debate in political philosophy.
Origins of legitimacy
from Medieval Latin 'legitimitas', from Latin 'legitimus', meaning 'lawful'
Summary: legitimacy in Brief
The term 'legitimacy' [ləˈdʒɪtɪməsi] refers to the quality of being legal, reasonable, or based on valid reasoning or evidence. It can be used to describe the validity of actions, results, or entities, as in 'The legitimacy of the government's actions was questioned by the opposition party.' 'Legitimacy' can also be used in phrases like 'question the legitimacy of something,' and 'establish the legitimacy of something,' denoting doubt or confirmation of legality, authenticity, or validity.
