legitimate

[li-jit-uh-mit, li-jit-uh-meyt] / lɪˈdʒɪt ə mɪt, lɪˈdʒɪt əˌmeɪt /

ADJECTIVE

authentic, valid, legal

Synonyms

STRONGEST

appropriate certain consistent correct fair genuine justifiable lawful logical natural normal proper real reasonable reliable rightful sensible statutory true well-founded

STRONG

accepted accredited acknowledged authorized good-faith received recognized sanctioned sound warranted

WEAK

admissible canonical cogent customary innocent just licit official on the level on the up and up orthodox probable regular sure typical usual verifiable

Antonyms

STRONGEST

abnormal affected counterfeit deceptive dishonest false illegal illegitimate improper incorrect invalid irrational irregular uncommon unconventional unfitting unreal unreasonable unreliable unsuitable untrustworthy

WEAK

unlawful unwarranted

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But he said Cuba had "the absolute and legitimate right to defend itself against a military onslaught."

From Barron's • May 18, 2026

Others were more like news aggregators – posting, or reposting, legitimate news stories without any clear political bias.

From BBC • May 16, 2026

A higher threshold may reduce wrongful interventions but could allow legitimate threats to go undetected.

From Salon • May 12, 2026

However, the growing number of drones operated via cellular networks poses a challenge because they blend in with legitimate network traffic.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 11, 2026

When the second of his three children was born, his sister had a stern talk with him about getting a legitimate job so he could watch his kids grow up.

From "The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates" by Wes Moore

Vocabulary lists containing legitimate

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