legitimacy

/ləˈdʒɪtəməsi/
noun
  1. The quality of being legal or conforming to the law.
    • The new law gave legitimacy to the organization's activities.
    • Voters doubted the legitimacy of the election results.
    • The legitimacy of the contract was questioned in court.
  2. The quality of being reasonable, acceptable, or justified.
    • The scientist questioned the legitimacy of the study's methods.
    • Her concerns about safety have legitimacy.
    • There is no legitimacy to those rumors.
  3. The status of a child born to parents who are legally married.
    • Laws about legitimacy have changed over the centuries.
    • In the past, legitimacy affected a child's inheritance rights.
    • The document proved the legitimacy of the heir.
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