legitimately

adverb

le·git·i·mate·ly li-ˈji-tə-mət-lē

: in a legitimate manner : according to what is lawful, permitted, appropriate, or reasonable

money earned legitimately [=legally]

a question that can be legitimately asked

… objects of ritual significance that were common tribal property seldom if ever could have come legitimately into nontribal hands.—Robert McC. Adams

The other kind of steroids are the potent inflammation fighters widely and legitimately used to treat dozens of illnesses.—Paul G. Donohue

… several objections to their book can legitimately be raised.—Christopher Lehmann-Haupt

Examples of legitimately in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Some in the upper deck legitimately block most of the red zone on the far side of the field, specifically the end zone. — Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2026 Both — the skeptic questioning whether MAID was chosen freely, and the clinician determining whether it was chosen legitimately — focus on the circumstances around the patient’s final decision. — Sai Rajagopal, STAT, 4 Aug. 2026 The objective is not to make the other side lose, but to create an outcome each participant can legitimately defend. — Ricardo Bellino, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026 And Iran can legitimately claim data centers are military targets. — David Goldman, CNN Money, 3 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for legitimately

Word History

First Known Use

1593, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of legitimately was in 1593

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legitimate

legitimately

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Style

“Legitimately.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/legitimately. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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legitimately

adverb

Examples of legitimately in a Sentence

Word History

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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