1. the quality of being lawful, legal, or in accordance with established rules
2. the quality of being reasonable, acceptable, or justified
3. the right to rule or govern based on accepted authority
Usage: political

Examples

• The court questioned the legitimacy of the contract.
• Citizens began to doubt the government’s legitimacy after the scandal.
• She challenged the legitimacy of his claim to the throne.
• The legitimacy of the research findings was confirmed by peer review.
• The new law established the legitimacy of same-sex marriages.
• His legitimacy as a leader was undermined by corruption charges.