noun · academic
legitimacy
/lɪˈdʒɪtɪməsi/le·GIT·i·ma·cy
the quality of being lawful, acceptable or having the right to be obeyed or respected
Examples
“Protests raised questions about the legitimacy of the election.”
“The reform aimed to strengthen the legitimacy of public institutions.”
“Scholars debate the legitimacy of certain historical claims.”
Band 8 sentence
“Citizens' trust is the cornerstone of a government's legitimacy, not merely its legal authority.”
Collocations
- question the legitimacy of
- gain legitimacy
- political legitimacy
Word family
Common mistakes
The law's legality was questioned by citizens who felt excluded.→The law's legitimacy was questioned by citizens who felt excluded.
They tried to legitimate the decision.→They tried to legitimize the decision.
Say it for a higher band
5legal→6legitimate→7+legitimacy
Synonyms
validity
Easily confused
validity
“The committee examined the validity of the survey results.”
Related words
Learn this word with the rest of its set, and get reminded at the right time.
In -ity
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