LEGITIMATING Synonyms: 40 Similar and Opposite Words

legitimating

verb

present participle of legitimate

as in legitimizing

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for legitimating

Verb

Moreover, its lead in many technologies meant that the United States had much more to lose than to gain by legitimizing commercial spying.

— DAVID S. COHEN, Foreign Affairs, 8 Oct. 2026
Seeking new crypto money, Christie’s and Sotheby’s cut all other legitimizing actors out of the loop with NFTs, elevating what might previously have been categorized as illustration, graphic art, or a social media meme to the status of fine art.

— Simon Denny, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of legitimizing

Verb

In addition to sanctioning Brito and Epstein, Williams also ordered a copy of her order to be sent to the New York State Bar Association, of which acting Attorney General Todd Blanche is a member.

— Dan Mangan, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2026
Tony Forte, president of USAngling, the sanctioning body, said the tournament will be a showcase to persuade the International Olympic Committee to include bass fishing at the Summer Olympics.

— Bryan Hendricks, Arkansas Online, 27 Sep. 2026

Definition of sanctioning

Verb

Child Mind Institute guidance on communicating with teenagers emphasizes listening, validating feelings and creating space where kids feel safe speaking up.

— Ashley Lynch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Oct. 2026
The speed was only real in feel, not in fact, because the effort simply relocated from writing code to reviewing, reconciling and validating what the machine produced.

— Tim Lee, Forbes.com, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of validating

Verb

But the death of Khamenei eliminated the regime’s paramount figure, disturbing the existing balance, and the war is systematically privileging the parts of the state responsible for survival over everything else.

— Ali Vaez, Foreign Affairs, 29 Sep. 2026
This was right in the peak of Elon Musk’s reconstruction of Twitter, privileging rage bait and engagement tactics that helped misinformation disseminate like fact.

— Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of privileging

Verb

Judge Stephanie Santoro granted Klitschko’s request, appointing him temporary guardian of his daughter’s estate and authorizing him to file a probate petition on her behalf.

— Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 8 Oct. 2026
Enetec was sanctioned in July under a presidential executive order authorizing sanctions to Cuban entities posing a direct threat to national security or involved in repression.

— Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of authorizing

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.

Browse Nearby Words

legitimates

legitimating

legitimation

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Legitimating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/legitimating. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of legitimating

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

compunction

Popular in Grammar & Usage

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Popular

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

Games & Quizzes