LEGITIMIZING Synonyms: 40 Similar and Opposite Words

legitimizing

verb

present participle of legitimize

as in authorizing

to make something real, accepted, or official slang words legitimized by usage

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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.

Recent Examples of legitimizing The company is abandoning the $799 price point, with the Pixel 11 expected to start at $899 for 256GB storage, legitimizing a wider industry shift to higher base storage and prices. — Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026 There is no formal consensus, however, and no faction willing to move first on anything that could be portrayed as surrendering leverage, legitimizing the bombing campaign, or handing Trump a clear victory. — Sanam Vakil, Time, 16 July 2026 The mayor himself will arrive this morning ahead of his afternoon one-on-one with Leo, the first American — and Chicago-born — pope, whose advocacy on immigrant rights and historic apology on Monday for the Holy See’s role in legitimizing slavery will be top of the list for Johnson to discuss. — Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 28 May 2026 Strong suggests legitimizing and standardizing station tattoos, making a design readily available if deputies want to pay homage to their workplace, as other departments across the nation do. — Sierra Van Der Brug, Daily News, 28 May 2026 Its historic proximity to success is a legitimizing anchor for the movement. — Katie Thornton, Harpers Magazine, 26 May 2026 Institutions that once prided themselves on filtering out this kind of rhetoric are now legitimizing it. — Alma Hernandez, New York Daily News, 1 May 2026 Critics caution the pope against allowing the government to exploit his presence, warning his visit risks legitimizing the regime’s abuses while offering only symbolic appeals for peace. — Nicole Winfield, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2026 There is a difference in legitimizing a person’s agenda versus finding common ground. — Torie Bosch, STAT, 11 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for legitimizing

Verb

Some commentators have incorrectly characterized the memo as authorizing cyber letters of marque or privateers.

— Jill Goldenziel, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2026
Last month, federal officials denied Arkansas' request to extend its waiver authorizing the Arkansas Health and Opportunity for Me program, or ARHOME, through 2031.

— Nathan Ansell, Arkansas Online, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of authorizing

Verb

By enabling end-to-end visibility, Blue Yonder helps retailers and brands build more resilient supply chains that are prepared for the inevitable disruption.

— Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 13 Aug. 2026
Rapid urbanization, rising incomes and the relative affordability of Chinese brands are enabling Chinese automakers to capture markets historically dominated by European, Japanese and American giants.

— ABC News, ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of enabling

Verb

While less visible than publishing itself, peer review plays a foundational role in technical ecosystems—evaluating methodologies, validating research quality, and influencing emerging disciplinary standards.

— William Jones, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2026
Architecture validated in 28-nanometre environment The first phase of the collaboration focused on validating the QCIM core under demanding operating conditions.

— Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of validating

Verb

The ruling gave hijras official status as a minority community, entitling them to various forms of government assistance.

— Charles Preston, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 May 2026
The superintendent, general counsel and chief auditor qualify for the supplements due to provisions in their contracts entitling them to the same increases as other administrative staff, officials said.

— Scott Travis, Sun Sentinel, 3 Jan. 2026

Definition of entitling

Verb

Villa similarly moved quickly to secure Zion Suzuki, sanctioning Emiliano Martinez’s departure.

— Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
Options like seizing Iranian assets and sanctioning Iran’s trading partners, exchange houses, and Chinese banks all have potential downsides.

— Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of sanctioning

Verb

Additionally, CSquare is working with the village on permitting for four other temporary generators on site and needed to power critical workloads.

— Alicia Fabbre, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026
The Department of Transportation’s permitting backlog, which this spring reportedly had hundreds of businesses waiting for a green light, hasn’t helped.

— Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of permitting

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legitimizes

legitimizing

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“Legitimizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/legitimizing. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of legitimizing

verb

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