Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

legitimize

/ləˈd͡ʒɪtɪˌmaɪz/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.75 in modern English

Syllables
le-git-imize
IPA
/ləˈd͡ʒɪtɪˌmaɪz/
22
Scrabble Score
10
Letters
4
Syllables
7
Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To make legitimate.

Transitive verb

Etymology

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

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ləˈd͡ʒɪtɪˌmaɪz/
  • British English: /ləˈd͡ʒɪtɪmaɪz/

Usage

Inflected Forms

legitimizes (present, singular) legitimizing (participle, present) legitimized (participle, past) legitimized (past) legitimise (alternative)

Derived Forms

delegitimize illegitimatize illegitimize legitimizable legitimization legitimizer relegitimize

Synonyms

legitimate legalize legalise decriminalize decriminalise legitimise legitimatize legitimatise

Rhymes With

epitomize

Questions

How do you pronounce legitimize?
The recorded pronunciation is /ləˈd͡ʒɪtɪˌmaɪz/.
What does legitimize mean?
To make legitimate.
Where does legitimize come from?
Etymology tree English legitimate Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íd͏̌d͏̌ō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō)bor. Late Latin -izōder. Middle French -iserbor. Middle English -isen English -ize English legitimize From legitimate + -ize.

How to pronounce legitimize

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “legitimize”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ləˈd͡ʒɪtɪˌmaɪz/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “legitimize”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “legitimize” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.