legitimate government

Cultural  

1. A government generally acknowledged as being in control of a nation and deserving formal recognition, which is symbolized by the exchange of diplomats between that government and the governments of other countries.

---

Example Sentences

Abrams, the veteran diplomat, said engaging opposition actors, such as Maria Corina Machado, is a core diplomatic responsibility, particularly in a country the United States does not recognize as having a legitimate government.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 4, 2026

"I don't recognise the Taliban as Afghanistan's legitimate government, and they don't have recognition here in Austria," said 53-year-old Bakhtari.

From Barron's • Oct. 31, 2025

City of Hialeah, a religious discrimination case, the court emphasized how a series of ordinances might, when viewed in isolation, advance legitimate government interests in the humane treatment of animals.

From Slate • Feb. 3, 2025

The UK government does not recognise the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan.

From BBC • Sep. 9, 2024

Later she was introduced by a Western Senator into that form of secret service which has no connection with legitimate government, but which is profitable.

From The Titan by Dreiser, Theodore