LEGITIMIZING Synonyms: 40 Similar and Opposite Words

legitimizing

verb

present participle of legitimize

as in authorizing

to make something real, accepted, or official slang words legitimized by usage

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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.

Recent Examples of legitimizing 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 That means if Russia was to undergo a profound political transformation during the next five years, the Duma will play a major role in managing and legitimizing it. — Sam Meredith,anniek Bao, CNBC, 17 Sep. 2026 The company is abandoning the $799 price point, with the Pixel 11 expected to start at $899 for 256GB storage, legitimizing a wider industry shift to higher base storage and prices. — Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026 There is no formal consensus, however, and no faction willing to move first on anything that could be portrayed as surrendering leverage, legitimizing the bombing campaign, or handing Trump a clear victory. — Sanam Vakil, Time, 16 July 2026 The mayor himself will arrive this morning ahead of his afternoon one-on-one with Leo, the first American — and Chicago-born — pope, whose advocacy on immigrant rights and historic apology on Monday for the Holy See’s role in legitimizing slavery will be top of the list for Johnson to discuss. — Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 28 May 2026 Strong suggests legitimizing and standardizing station tattoos, making a design readily available if deputies want to pay homage to their workplace, as other departments across the nation do. — Sierra Van Der Brug, Daily News, 28 May 2026 Its historic proximity to success is a legitimizing anchor for the movement. — Katie Thornton, Harpers Magazine, 26 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for legitimizing

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

Verb

Powering the lunar economy Cabauy believes reliable long-duration power would become one of the key enabling technologies behind a permanent human presence on the Moon.

— Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026
The same day, Stripe announced Muse integration with Link, enabling instant checkout at more than 1 million businesses and use of single-use virtual cards.

— Lauren Schuster, Sacbee.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of enabling

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

The ruling gave hijras official status as a minority community, entitling them to various forms of government assistance.

— Charles Preston, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 May 2026
The superintendent, general counsel and chief auditor qualify for the supplements due to provisions in their contracts entitling them to the same increases as other administrative staff, officials said.

— Scott Travis, Sun Sentinel, 3 Jan. 2026

Definition of entitling

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

But environmentalists are concerned about data centers developing on federal lands to skirt environmental protections and laws and circumvent permitting processes.

— Jessica Hill, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
The guidelines avoided mandatory government licensing, preclearance, thus permitting development before the release of the latest AI models.

— John Caruso, Hartford Courant, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of permitting

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legitimizing

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

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Synonyms of legitimizing

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