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

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

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

“Members of the public often have no way to confirm whether they are interacting with legitimate government officials,” Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif, said in a statement.

From Salon • Jul. 19, 2025

This she herself teaches in teaching that even infidels, as we have seen, may have legitimate government, and since, though she interprets and applies the law of God, both natural and revealed, she makes neither.

From The American Republic : constitution, tendencies and destiny by Brownson, Orestes Augustus