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.

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Example Sentences

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legitimate government

Revolut called the incident “a sophisticated external impersonation scam where an unauthorized third party utilized a legitimate government agency domain email to submit fraudulent requests for information.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

A foreign ministry statement said Riyadh "continues to support the brotherly Yemeni people and their legitimate government."

From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026

The Fatah-dominated PLO runs the Palestinian Authority, which governs parts of the West Bank not under Israeli control, and has formally claimed to be the legitimate government in Gaza despite exercising no effective control there.

From BBC ● Apr. 25, 2026

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

The civil and military authorities will execute no other orders but those issued by the legitimate government residing at Versailles, under penalty of dismissal.

From Paris under the Commune The Seventy-Three Days of the Second Siege; with Numerous Illustrations, Sketches Taken on the Spot, and Portraits (from the Original Photographs) by John Leighton