What does delegitimize mean?
To delegitimize is to take away the legitimacy, authority, or accepted status of something — a government, an election, an institution, or even a once-common behavior such as smoking. The verb implies an active process: through criticism, sanctions, propaganda, or official rulings, an entity that was previously recognized as valid comes to be seen as illegitimate or unworthy of respect. Delegitimize belongs primarily to formal registers, appearing frequently in political journalism, international relations, and academic analysis, where phrases like 'delegitimize an election' or 'efforts to delegitimize the regime' are routine. Its connotations are inherently adversarial: what is delegitimized loses standing, while the actor doing the delegitimizing is often portrayed as acting out of hostility or self-interest. Speakers also use the word defensively, accusing rivals of attempting to delegitimize their views. Derived forms include the noun delegitimization, and British English favors the spelling delegitimise.
verbTo deprive a person, institution, idea, or practice of legitimacy, authority, or credibility, especially by official action or sustained criticism.
- To strip a person, institution, election, government, or idea of its legitimacy, authority, or accepted status, typically through political pressure, propaganda, or formal rulings.
- To undermine the credibility or moral standing of a practice, behavior, or viewpoint so that it is no longer regarded as acceptable (e.g. efforts to delegitimize smoking).
"The opposition accused the government of trying to delegitimize the election results before they were even announced."
"Sanctions were imposed in part to delegitimize the military junta on the world stage."
"Public health campaigns worked for decades to delegitimize smoking in workplaces and restaurants."
Delegitimize is one of those words that politicians reach for precisely when they fear their opponents are doing it — making it a word that is often used to accuse others of using words.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of delegitimize
Delegitimize is formed from the prefix de-, indicating removal, combined with 'legitimize', which derives ultimately from Latin legitimus, meaning 'lawful' or 'according to law', itself rooted in lex (law) — the same root that gives us legal, legitimate, and legislate. The verb emerged in modern English as political discourse demanded a precise term for the deliberate stripping away of legitimacy, becoming especially prominent in twentieth-century writing on diplomacy, statecraft, and social movements.
Related word forms
How delegitimize is actually used
Delegitimize is largely a formal and political term, common in journalism, international relations, and academic writing about states, elections, and social movements. The spelling 'delegitimise' with -ise is standard in British English. It carries a strongly negative connotation for whatever is being delegitimized, though speakers often use it defensively to complain that their own position is being unfairly undermined.
Easily confused with delegitimize
To demonize someone is to portray them as evil or wicked, whereas to delegitimize something is to strip it of legitimacy or validity.
Illegitimate is an adjective describing something that lacks legitimacy from the start, while delegitimize is a verb describing the act of taking legitimacy away.