delegitimate

D2E1L1E1G2I1T1I1M3A1T1E1
UK/ˌdiːlɨˈdʒɪtɨmeɪt/

verb

To cause (something) not to be legitimate; to make illegitimate, to illegitimize.

Similar
delegitimize
OriginEnglish legitimate ← Latin dē- ← Proto-Italic *dē →
Scrabble 16
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Meanings

verbdelegitimate (third-person singular simple present delegitimates, present participle delegitimating, simple past and past participle delegitimated)

present singular third person delegitimates · participle present delegitimating · participle past delegitimated · past delegitimated

  1. transitiveTo cause (something) not to be legitimate; to make illegitimate, to illegitimize.

    Equally, the arguments delegitimate rival claims both from insiders […] and from outsiders seeking hegemony over the ‘national’ territory.

    2016, Peter H. Wilson, The Holy Roman Empire, Penguin, published 2017, page 7

    Synonyms: delegitimize

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo cause (something) not to be legitimate; to make illegitimate, to illegitimize.

Similar
delegitimize
Also see
delegitimize

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*de
  2. Proto-Indo-European*déh₁
  3. Proto-Italic*dē
  4. Latindē
  5. Latindē-
  6. Englishde-
  7. Englishlegitimate
  8. Englishdelegitimate

From de- + legitimate.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

delegitimate. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/delegitimate

MLA

“delegitimate.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/delegitimate. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “delegitimate,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/delegitimate.

Source: delegitimate on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.