legitimacy
/li'dʤitiməsi/
Definition
- Noun:
- The quality or state of being legitimate. This refers to something being in accordance with established rules, principles, or standards, making it acceptable, valid, or justified.
- Lawfulness by virtue of being authorized or in accordance with law. This specifically denotes conformity to the law or to rules.
- Undisputed credibility. This refers to the quality of being accepted as genuine, rightful, or believable.
Usage
- Legitimacy is an uncountable noun. It describes an abstract quality.
- It is commonly used in formal, academic, legal, and political contexts to discuss the validity or justification of authority, claims, actions, or institutions.
- Typical sentence structures include: "the legitimacy of [something]", "to gain/lose/undermine legitimacy", "to question/challenge the legitimacy".
Examples
- The new government worked hard to establish its legitimacy in the eyes of the international community.
- The court will examine the legitimacy of the contract.
- Historians debate the legitimacy of the emperor's claim to the throne.
- The protesters challenged the legitimacy of the election results.
Advanced Usage
- "Moral legitimacy": Refers to justification based on ethical principles rather than just legal rules.
- The policy lacked moral legitimacy, even if it was technically legal.
- "Perceived legitimacy": Refers to how legitimate something is viewed by people, which can differ from its legal status.
- The perceived legitimacy of the police force is crucial for public cooperation.
Variants and Related Words
- Legitimate (adj): Conforming to the law or rules; valid, justified.
- He is the legitimate heir to the estate.
- Legitimize/Legitimise (verb): To make something legitimate or acceptable.
- The treaty helped to legitimize the new borders.
- Legitimation (noun): The process of making something legitimate.
- The legitimation of his authority took many years.
Synonyms
- Validity: The quality of being logically or factually sound.
- Lawfulness: The quality of being conforming to or allowed by law.
- Authenticity: The quality of being genuine or true.
- Credibility: The quality of being trusted and believed in.
Antonyms
- Illegitimacy: The state of not being in accordance with the law or accepted standards.
- Invalidity: The state of being not legally or factually acceptable.
Related Phrases and Concepts
- "Crisis of legitimacy": A situation where an institution or government loses the public's belief in its right to rule or exist.
- The scandal provoked a crisis of legitimacy for the administration.
- "Source of legitimacy": The origin or basis for something's validity (e.g., the constitution, popular vote, tradition).
- For a democracy, the primary source of legitimacy is the consent of the governed.
Noun
-
undisputed credibility
-
lawfulness by virtue of being authorized or in accordance with law
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