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

And so, Roberts ruled, the court need only ask whether the health care ban is “rationally related to a legitimate government interest.”

From Slate • Jun. 18, 2025

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

From BBC • Sep. 9, 2024

"Thus public education, within laws prescribed by the government and under magistrates appointed by sovereign will, is one of the fundamental maxims of popular or legitimate government."

From The Ancient Regime by Durand, John