legitimacy

CEFRC1

/ləˈd͡ʒɪtɪməsi/

noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    The quality of being accepted as lawful, proper, or reasonable.

  2. 02

    noun

    Extra detail

    Lawfulness of birth or origin; directness of descent as affecting the royal succession.

Examples

  • Fair trials ensure the legitimacy of holding war criminals accountable.

  • Algeria has recovered its legitimacy.

At a glance

Sits at C1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
4
Parts of speech
1
Citations
2
Synonyms
5

Also pronounced

  • [ləˈd͡ʒɪɾɪməsi]

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. The quality or state of being legitimate or valid; validity.

  2. Public acceptance of an institution, such as a government, corporation, or system.

More examples

In context

  • After decades of inequality and oppression, the regime had lost legitimacy with its own population.

  • Democracy’s legitimacy stems from the consent of the governed.

  • The fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 was seen by many as proof of capitalism’s legitimacy over communism.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The court questioned the blank of the contract because it was signed under threat.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

From legitimate + -cy.