legitimatize

Grant formal approval

Legitimatize means to make legitimate—to give official status, legal standing, or social acceptance to something.

The word is a longer variant of legitimize, which is more common: Critics argued the election would legitimatize the regime.

Both forms compete with legitimate used as a verb.

All three mean the same thing.

legalize

legalize

Make officially permitted

decriminalizeAbolish penalties for
codifyOrganize into formal rules
enactPass into law

statutory · constitutional · licit · permissible · sanctioned · lawful · authorize · regulate · juridical · jurisprudence

endorse

sanction

Approval or punitive measure

approveFormally accept or authorize
supportTo uphold or sustain
backReverse side; support

uphold · affirm · advocate · champion · endorse · recognize · acknowledge · authorize · bless · greenlight

validate

authenticate

Confirm as genuine

verifyConfirm accuracy or truth
substantiateProve something is true
confirmValidate as true

corroborate · certify · validate · prove · establish · document · demonstrate · evidence · proof · accredit

authenticate

genuine

Truly what it claims

authenticVerified as original
bona fideAuthentic and sincere
realTruly existing, not fake

true · valid · original · veritable · certifiable · credible · trustworthy · verified · official · authorized

Opposites

legal/official status

legitimatizeoutlaw

Fugitive from justice

ban · forbid · illegalize · prohibit · criminalize

social/moral acceptance

legitimatizedelegitimize

Deny rightful authority

stigmatize · discredit · condemn · denounce · vilify

Family

legitimation, legitimatized, legitimatizing

Familiarity: Top 500,000
Profile: Used worldwide · Timeless · Abstract · Everyday, not technical · Rated G