legitimacy
Americannoun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of legitimacy
First recorded in 1685–95; legitim(ate) + -acy
Explanation
The noun legitimacy means authenticity. If you found an old copy of the Gettysburg Address in your grandmother's attic, you'd have to question its legitimacy when you realized it was written on the back of a car advertisement. Legitimacy comes from the Latin verb legitimare, which means lawful. Legitimacy, then, refers to something that is legal because it meets the specific requirements of the law. The legitimacy of various countries' presidential elections is often discussed, with monitors keeping track of the voting procedures to make sure they follow all the necessary rules.
Vocabulary lists containing legitimacy
Power Suffix: -acy
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President Obama's U.N. Address
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“But there is also somewhere in her an ego that craves legitimacy and recognition and power, and those elements form quite a volatile cocktail this season.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 17, 2026
He brought legitimacy, star power, and opened the door for more stars like him to follow.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026
So the easy question to answer is the legitimacy of the piece of paper Blanche signed—he is the only one who signed it—which is this broad civil release.
From Slate • Jun. 9, 2026
It came to some damning findings, including saying there was "substantial doubt about the legitimacy of the source of the currency that was stolen" and concluding that Ramaphosa "has a case to answer".
From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026
The creditor’s note was purportedly signed by Roan and was dated “Jany, 1921”; this was important, because it indicated that the note predated efforts to obtain the insurance, giving legitimacy to Hale’s claim.
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
