noun
legitimacy
luh-JIH-tih-muh-see
noun
1
The state of being lawful, valid, or generally accepted as proper.
"The election results gave the new government legitimacy."
"Critics questioned the legitimacy of the contract."
How to Use Legitimacy
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishLegitimacy is the quality of being lawful, genuine, or properly justified, so that people accept it as valid.
Common pairings
question the legitimacy
political legitimacy
lend legitimacy to
Word Forms
legitimacies plural
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The election results gave the new government _____.
Etymology
From legitimate plus the noun-forming suffix -cy.