verb
- to cause something or someone to be seen as lacking legitimacy, authority, or credibility
Usage: transitive verb; often used in political and social contexts
Examples
- The scandal served to delegitimize the government in the eyes of voters.
- Critics argued that the media coverage was designed to delegitimize the new policy.
- Spreading false information can delegitimize even well-founded institutions.
- The opposition party worked to delegitimize their rival's campaign promises.
- Repeated failures delegitimized the company's claims about product safety.
- Some activists sought to delegitimize the entire electoral process.