Legitiimne

Legitiimne is an Estonian adjective meaning legitimate or lawful. It is used to describe actions, decisions, institutions, or authorities that are considered permitted by law, morally justified, or broadly accepted as proper.

Etymology and usage: The word derives from Latin legitimus and reached Estonian through historical contact with German and Swedish legal vocabularies. In contemporary Estonian, legitiimne covers both legal admissibility and normative justification in political and social discourse.

In political science, legitimacy denotes the perceived right to rule or govern. Max Weber identified three ideal types of authority—traditional, charismatic, and legal-rational—as possible bases for legitimacy. Legitimacy can arise from legality, tradition, charisma, performance, or a combination of these.

Measurement and implications: Legitimate authority tends to sustain compliance and stability, but perceived legitimacy must be maintained by elections, rule of law, accountability, transparency, and protection of rights. In addition to states, legitimacy concerns apply to corporations, international organizations, and social movements, which seek acceptance by norms and stakeholders.

In Estonian discourse, legitiimne is used similarly to its cognates in other languages, emphasizing lawful authority, valid governance, and public acceptance, particularly in constitutional, electoral, and administrative contexts.

See also: legitimacy; political legitimacy; Weberian authority.