Legitimize

//ləˈd͡ʒɪtɪmaɪz//

Synonyms for "legitimize" (37 found)

Ranked by relevance and common usage.

Closest matches (8)

Verb(3 words)

legitimate decriminalise decriminalize

authorize certify charter constitute decree

Strong matches (11)

empower enable enact enfranchise entitle establish formulate franchise justify launder

Verb(1 words)

legalise

Related words (18)

legalize legislate legitimate license ordain patent prescribe privilege ratify regulate sanctify sanction validate warrant

Verb(4 words)

legalize legitimatise legitimatize legitimise

Related word relations

OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.

5 relation types

More general

4 entries

allow countenance let permit

Synonyms

2 entries

legalize legitimate

derived

6 entries

delegitimize illegitimatize illegitimize legitimization legitimizer relegitimize

etymologically related_to

2 entries

ize legitimate

related to

1 entries

legitimate

Translations

29 translations across 17 languages.

Belarusian

4 entries

легітымі́раваць verb (to make legitimate)
легітымізава́ць verb (to make legitimate)
узако́ньваць verb (to make legitimate)
узако́ніць verb (to make legitimate)

Bulgarian

2 entries

узаконя́ verb (to make legitimate)
узаконявам verb (to make legitimate)

Catalan

1 entries

legitimar verb (to make legitimate)

Chinese Mandarin

2 entries

使合法 verb (to make legitimate)
合法化 verb (to make legitimate)

Dutch

1 entries

legitimeren verb (to make legitimate)

Finnish

1 entries

legitimoida verb (to make legitimate)

French

1 entries

légitimiser verb (to make legitimate)

German

1 entries

legitimieren verb (to make legitimate)

Italian

1 entries

legittimare verb (to make legitimate)

Japanese

1 entries

合法化する verb (to make legitimate)

Portuguese

1 entries

legitimar verb (to make legitimate)

Russian

4 entries

легитими́ровать verb (to make legitimate)
легитимизи́ровать verb (to make legitimate)
узако́нивать verb (to make legitimate)
узако́нить verb (to make legitimate)

Serbo-Croatian

2 entries

legitimirati verb (to make legitimate)
opravdati verb (to make legitimate)

Spanish

2 entries

legitimar verb (to make legitimate)
legitimizar verb (to make legitimate)

Swedish

1 entries

legitimera verb (to make legitimate)

Turkish

1 entries

meşrulaştırmak verb (to make legitimate)

Ukrainian

3 entries

легітимізува́ти verb (to make legitimate)
узако́нити verb (to make legitimate)
узако́нювати verb (to make legitimate)

Sample sentences

2 total sentences available.

Tatoeba + Wiktionary

Certain things are easier to legalize than legitimize.

Source: tatoeba (7021197)

Everything is fomented in the Algerian black laboratories to drive Kabylia into the chaos that would legitimize a state of siege.

Source: tatoeba (8589982)

More for "legitimize"

Meaning Antonyms Sentences Word Type

Keep exploring

Compare antonyms Use in sentences Read the blog

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.