Standard Lemma guide

legitimize

verb · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ləˈd͡ʒɪtɪmaɪz/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Canada, General-American: /ləˈd͡ʒɪtɪˌmaɪz/
  • Canada, General-American: [ləˈd͡ʒɪɾɪˌmaɪz]
  • Canada, General-American: /ləˈd͡ʒɪtəˌmaɪz/
  • Canada, General-American: [ləˈd͡ʒɪɾəˌmaɪz]
  • Australian: /ləˈd͡ʒɪtɪmɑɪz/
  • Australian: [ləˈd͡ʒɪɾɪˌmɑɪz]
  • CMU ARPABET: L AH0 JH IH1 T AH0 M AY2 Z Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 2: L IH0 JH IH1 T AH0 M AY2 Z Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To make legitimate.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

make legal

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Marijuana should be legalized

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: legalize, legalise, decriminalize, decriminalise, legitimise, legitimate, legitimatize, legitimatise

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: permit, allow, let, countenance

Narrower terms: monetize, monetise

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English legitimate Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íďďō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō)bor. Late Latin -izōder. Middle French -iserbor. Middle English -isen English -ize English legitimize From legitimate + -ize.

Across languages

Translations

29 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Belarusian: легітымізава́ць (ljehitymizavácʹ) — to make legitimate
  • Belarusian: легітымі́раваць (ljehitymíravacʹ) — to make legitimate
  • Belarusian: узако́ньваць (uzakónʹvacʹ) — to make legitimate
  • Belarusian: узако́ніць (uzakónicʹ) — to make legitimate
  • Bulgarian: узаконявам (uzakonjavam) — to make legitimate
  • Bulgarian: узаконя́ (uzakonjá) — to make legitimate
  • Catalan: legitimar — to make legitimate
  • Chinese Mandarin: 使合法 (shǐ héfǎ) — to make legitimate
  • Chinese Mandarin: 合法化 (héfǎhuà) — to make legitimate
  • Dutch: legitimeren — to make legitimate
  • Finnish: legitimoida — to make legitimate
  • French: légitimiser — to make legitimate
  • German: legitimieren — to make legitimate
  • Italian: legittimare — to make legitimate
  • Japanese: 合法化する (gōhōka suru) — to make legitimate
  • Portuguese: legitimar — to make legitimate
  • Russian: легитими́ровать (legitimírovatʹ) — to make legitimate
  • Russian: легитимизи́ровать (legitimizírovatʹ) — to make legitimate
  • Russian: узако́нивать (uzakónivatʹ) — to make legitimate
  • Russian: узако́нить (uzakónitʹ) — to make legitimate
  • Serbo-Croatian: legitimirati — to make legitimate
  • Serbo-Croatian: opravdati — to make legitimate
  • Spanish: legitimar — to make legitimate
  • Spanish: legitimizar — to make legitimate
  • Swedish: legitimera — to make legitimate
  • Turkish: meşrulaştırmak — to make legitimate
  • Ukrainian: легітимізува́ти (lehitymizuváty) — to make legitimate
  • Ukrainian: узако́нювати (uzakónjuvaty) — to make legitimate
  • Ukrainian: узако́нити (uzakónyty) — to make legitimate