Showing results for legitimate government. Search instead for legitimate grievances.

legitimate government

Cultural

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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Others think she was simply seeking more time to find a bright line between legitimate government activity and the unconstitutional “commandeering” of state resources for federal purposes.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 5, 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

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

From BBC • Sep. 9, 2024

They try to define the bounds of legitimate government by asking how individuals in an ungoverned “state of nature” would agree to be governed.

From Slate • May 9, 2024

In Desert Storm, the objectives were first to evict Iraqi forces from Kuwait and then to restore the legitimate government.

From Shock and Awe — Achieving Rapid Dominance by Wade, James P.

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023