legitimize
verb (used with object)
to make legitimate.
legitimized
-
past participleof legitimize.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
-
past tense formof legitimize.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
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.
Some opposed the measure, though, arguing it legitimized illegal businesses and could give the city a reason to keep them around.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 4, 2026
The picture of Russia emerging triumphant and legitimized from such a deal is, ahem, at variance with reality.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 25, 2025
A genre as wide-reaching and weird as this one doesn’t need golden statues to be legitimized.
From Salon ● Oct. 23, 2025
The court is where these ideas are hatched, and it is legitimized in ways that allow Miller to go all out, 110 percent, every time.
From Slate ● Sep. 29, 2025
To alleviate this, the Ptolemies legitimized their power by adopting the trappings of old-time pharaonic rule.
From "Circumference" by Nicholas Nicastro
