1. the act or process of making something legitimate or lawful
2. the process of justifying or providing acceptable reasons for something
3. the legal recognition of a child born outside marriage as legitimate
Usage: legal

Examples

• The new government sought legitimation through democratic elections.
• The company’s legitimation of its practices helped restore public trust.
• Historical legitimation of the monarchy came through divine right claims.
• The court ordered the legitimation of the child after paternity was established.
• Academic legitimation of the theory required peer review and testing.
• The legitimation process took several months to complete.
• Social legitimation of the movement grew as more people joined the cause.