legittimare

to legitimize, to validate

verb leh-jeet-tee-MAH-reh Rare

Usage Note

Legittimare means to make something lawful or officially recognized — legitimizing a child, a government, or a claim. It takes avere as its auxiliary. Note the double t in legittimo/legittimare, which reflects the Latin legitimus; dropping a t is a common spelling error. The related noun is legittimazione (legitimization).

Examples

"Il voto ha legittimato il nuovo governo."

Natural Translation

The vote legitimized the new government.

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