What does legitimize mean?
Legitimize is a formal verb meaning to make something legal, valid, officially recognized, or otherwise acceptable. It is often used for governments, institutions, laws, decisions, and political arrangements, as when a formal agreement legitimizes an organization or a court decision legitimizes an otherwise disputed practice. The word can also have a broader sense of making something appear justified or proper, especially when applied retrospectively. In this second use, legitimize may imply that the thing has acquired a respectable or acceptable appearance without necessarily establishing that its underlying claims are sound. The related adjective legitimate describes something that is lawful or justifiable, while legitimacy refers to the quality of being accepted or recognized as valid. Legitimize is therefore useful when discussing how authority, status, or public approval is conferred, particularly in political, legal, and historical contexts.
verbTo make something legal, valid, or acceptable, or to give it a legitimate status. It can also mean to cause something to be regarded as justified or proper.
- To make something legal, valid, or officially recognized.
- To make something seem justified, proper, or acceptable, especially in retrospect.
"The new agreement helped legitimize the previously unofficial organization."
"The court ruling legitimized the unusual use of the symbol."
"Historians debated whether the treaty helped legitimize the new regime."
To legitimize something is to give it a valid or acceptable status; the word can even turn an informal practice into an officially recognized one.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does legitimize come from?
The word comes from Latin legitimus, meaning lawful or valid, which was based on lex, meaning law. English borrowed legitimate in the late medieval period and developed legitimize from that established base. Related forms include legitimacy, legitimately, and the informal shortening legit. The verb appears in English in the 17th century, initially meaning to make lawful or to render valid.
Related word forms
How legitimize is actually used
The verb is common in formal and political contexts. It often suggests conferring legitimacy on something that previously lacked a clear legal or accepted status, and sometimes carries the implication of making something appear proper rather than proving that it is genuinely justified.
Easily confused with legitimize
Legitimate is an adjective describing something that is lawful, valid, or proper, whereas legitimize is a verb meaning to make something lawful, valid, or accepted.