Legitimize

Legitimize is a verb meaning to confer legitimacy on something—granting it official or legal status, social acceptance, or both—or to justify something with reasons or evidence. It can refer to formal legalization by authorities, the legitimization of a policy, institution, or movement, or the act of validating a claim or action in argument.

Etymology and variants: The word derives from legitimate, with the suffix -ize. In British English the spelling legitimise is common; in American English, legitimize is typical.

Uses and senses:

- Legal sense: to make something lawful or within the framework of law, such as licensing a business or legitimizing a marriage or child through formal recognition.

- Social and political sense: to confer legitimacy as a form of acceptance by a group or society, such as a regime or policy seeking recognition through procedures, norms, or endorsements.

- Argumentative sense: to justify or rationalize a claim or action by providing adequate reasons, evidence, or standards.

Related terms: legitimacy (the quality of being legitimate or accepted as valid), legitimization (the process of making something legitimate or acceptable), legitimate (adjective or verb form describing compliance with law or acceptance).

Usage notes: Legitimize is widely used in modern English; legitimise is the preferred British variant. Common collocations include legitimate authority, legitimate claim, and legitimate process.

Examples: A government may legitimize a policy by enacting clear legislation; activists may seek to legitimize a movement through broad-based support; researchers might legitimize a theory by presenting robust evidence. In family law, a child can be legitimated to establish legal recognition of paternity.