This page in your language

فارسی

العربية

Deutsch

Español

Français

日本語

한국어

Português

中文

हिन्दी

C1 verb 9 min read

legitimar

Practice it Examples Notes & Tips legitimar in 30 Seconds

Explanation legitimar in your Level:

At the A1 level, you don't need to use 'legitimar' often, but you can understand it as a way to say 'make something okay' or 'follow the rules.' Imagine you have a rule in a game, and the teacher says the rule is good. That is like 'legitimar.' It comes from the word 'legal' or 'lei' (law). So, it's about making things legal or official. For now, think of it as 'confirming that something is right.' You might see it in simple news titles about a leader being 'official.' It's a big word for a simple idea: saying 'Yes, this is allowed.'

By A2, you can start to see 'legitimar' as a more formal version of 'aceitar' (to accept) or 'confirmar' (to confirm). It is used when a person in charge says that an action is correct. For example, 'O pai legitimou a escolha do filho' (The father legitimized the son's choice). This means the father didn't just agree, he gave his official 'stamp' of approval. It is a regular verb, so it's easy to conjugate: eu legitimo, você legitima, nós legitimamos. Use it when you want to sound a bit more serious about something being official or permitted.

At the B1 level, you should recognize 'legitimar' in newspaper articles and formal discussions. It's often used in the context of rights and duties. For example, 'A nova lei serve para legitimar o trabalho remoto' (The new law serves to legitimize remote work). Here, it means that remote work is now officially recognized and protected by law. You also start to see the difference between 'legalizar' (to make legal) and 'legitimar' (to make acceptable or valid). B1 students should use this word when talking about social rules, company policies, or family decisions that need an official status.

At B2, you are expected to use 'legitimar' to discuss social and political issues. It is a key word for debates. You might say, 'O apoio da comunidade legitima as ações da ONG' (The community's support legitimizes the NGO's actions). This shows you understand that legitimacy comes from people's support, not just from a law book. You should also be comfortable with the passive voice: 'A decisão foi legitimada pelo voto' (The decision was legitimized by the vote). This is the level where you use the word to analyze power dynamics and the 'rightness' of actions in a professional or academic setting.

As a C1 learner, you use 'legitimar' to express nuanced ideas about authority, sociology, and philosophy. You understand that 'legitimar' involves a complex process of symbolic validation. For instance, you might analyze how a certain discourse 'legitima a desigualdade' (legitimizes inequality). You use it to describe the transition from a de facto situation to a de jure one. You are also aware of its use in the word family, such as 'legitimação' (legitimation) and 'legitimidade' (legitimacy), and can use them to build sophisticated arguments about democracy, ethics, and institutional power. Your usage is precise, distinguishing it clearly from 'validar' or 'ratificar'.

At the C2 level, 'legitimar' is a tool for deep critical analysis. You use it to discuss Weberian concepts of traditional, charismatic, and legal-rational legitimacy. You can explore how institutions 'se legitimam' (legitimize themselves) through rituals, rhetoric, and performance. You might use it in legal theory to discuss the 'poder constituinte' and how it legitimizes a new constitution. At this level, you also recognize the irony or the 'violence' inherent in certain forms of legitimation, where a dominant group legitimizes its own status by delegitimizing others. Your mastery of the word allows you to navigate the most complex political and legal texts in the Portuguese language with ease.

Practice it Examples Notes & Tips

legitimar in 30 Seconds

Legitimar is a C1-level Portuguese verb meaning to legitimize or validate. It is essential for formal, political, and legal discussions about authority and rights.
It differs from 'legalizar' (to make legal) by focusing on the 'rightness' or 'acceptance' of an action rather than just the technical law.
Commonly heard in Brazilian and Portuguese news regarding elections, court rulings, and social movements seeking recognition and validity within the system.
As a regular -ar verb, it is easy to conjugate but requires careful use of object pronouns (e.g., legitimá-lo) in formal writing and speech.

The Portuguese verb legitimar is a sophisticated term that goes far beyond simple legality. At its core, it means to make something valid, acceptable, or recognized as rightful. While it shares a root with 'law' (lei), its usage in modern Portuguese often leans toward the social, political, and psychological realms. To legitimize something is to provide it with a 'seal of approval' that the community, the law, or a specific authority recognizes as binding or true. It is the process of turning a mere fact or action into an established, respected reality.

Legal Context: In a strictly legal sense, legitimar refers to the act of making a situation conform to the law. Historically, this was frequently used in the context of 'legitimizing' children born out of wedlock, giving them the same legal rights as those born within a marriage. Today, it might refer to legitimizing a property claim or a signature through a notary.
Political Context: This is perhaps the most common use in high-level Portuguese discourse. A government is legitimado by the vote of the people. Without this process, power is seen as mere force. To legitimize power is to transform 'might' into 'right.' You will hear political analysts discuss whether a new law or a specific policy serves to legitimar the current administration's goals.

As eleições servem para legitimar a vontade do povo no sistema democrático.

Translation: Elections serve to legitimize the will of the people in the democratic system.

In social interactions, we often use legitimar to describe the validation of feelings or behaviors. If a teacher praises a student's unconventional method, they are legitimizing that approach. If a society starts to accept a previously marginalized lifestyle, it is legitimizing that mode of existence. It carries a heavy weight of 'authority'—you don't just 'like' something when you legitimize it; you declare it to be valid within a system of rules or norms.

Não podemos legitimar esse tipo de comportamento agressivo na nossa empresa.

Translation: We cannot legitimize this type of aggressive behavior in our company.

Sociological Nuance: Sociologists like Max Weber discussed 'legitimacy' (legitimidade) extensively. In Portuguese, when you use the verb legitimar, you are often participating in this academic tradition of questioning who has the right to command and why others obey. It is a word of power dynamics.

Finally, it's worth noting that the word is often used in the negative to criticize actions. To 'deslegitimar' (delegitimize) is to strip someone or something of their perceived right to exist or act. For instance, 'A oposição tentou deslegitimar o resultado das urnas' (The opposition tried to delegitimize the election results). This binary of legitimizing and delegitimizing is central to Portuguese news and debate.

Using legitimar correctly requires understanding its role as a transitive direct verb. This means it usually acts directly upon an object—you legitimize *something* or *someone*. Because it is a regular '-ar' verb, its conjugation is straightforward, but the contexts in which it appears are often complex and formal.

O diretor legitimou a decisão da equipe após a reunião.

Translation: The director legitimized the team's decision after the meeting.

Active Voice: In the active voice, the subject is the authority figure or the process that grants validity. For example: 'A nova lei legitimou a posse das terras' (The new law legitimized the possession of the lands). Here, the law is the agent of validation.
Passive Voice: The passive voice is extremely common with this verb, especially in journalism. 'O governo foi legitimado pelo apoio popular' (The government was legitimized by popular support). This shifts the focus to the entity receiving the validity.

One interesting grammatical structure is the use of the infinitive after auxiliary verbs. We often see 'precisamos legitimizar' or 'devemos legitimizar.' This indicates a necessity to find a basis for an action. In academic writing, you might see it used to justify a methodology: 'Este estudo busca legitimar o uso de novas tecnologias na educação.'

Ao ignorar o erro, você acaba por legitimá-lo.

Translation: By ignoring the error, you end up legitimizing it.

The verb also works well in conditional sentences. 'Se o povo não votar, nada poderá legitimar o novo líder.' This highlights the dependence of legitimacy on specific conditions. In business, it's used for processes: 'O selo de qualidade serve para legitimar o produto no mercado internacional.'

É necessário legitimar o discurso com fatos e dados concretos.

Translation: It is necessary to legitimize the discourse with concrete facts and data.

Reflexive Usage: Sometimes used as 'legitimar-se', meaning to prove one's own right or validity. 'O artista buscou legitimar-se perante a crítica especializada' (The artist sought to legitimize himself before the specialized critics).

In Brazil and Portugal, legitimar is a staple of 'serious' media. If you turn on the evening news (like Jornal Nacional or Telejornal), you will hear it in reports about Supreme Court decisions, legislative debates, and international diplomacy. It is a word that signals a transition from 'what is happening' to 'what is allowed to happen.'

O tribunal deve decidir se o decreto pode legitimar a intervenção federal.

Translation: The court must decide if the decree can legitimize the federal intervention.

The University Environment: In Portuguese-speaking universities, especially in Humanities (Ciências Humanas), this word is everywhere. Professors discuss how historical narratives legitimam certain power structures. Students write theses on how media legitima certain social stigmas. It is a tool for critical analysis.
Legal and Bureaucratic Circles: Lawyers (advogados) use it when arguing that a specific document or testimony should be accepted by the judge. A phrase like 'Isso não legitima a sua conduta' (This does not legitimize your conduct) is a common way to say that while an action might have reasons, it does not have legal or moral standing.

In the business world, legitimar appears during auditing and compliance discussions. When a company gets an ISO certification, that certificate serves to legitimar their processes to the global market. It’s about building trust through official recognition.

A certificação vai legitimar nossos produtos na Europa.

Translation: The certification will legitimize our products in Europe.

Lastly, in the digital age, we hear about social media 'legitimizing' fake news or fringe opinions. 'O algoritmo pode acabar por legitimar discursos de ódio' (The algorithm can end up legitimizing hate speech). This reflects a modern anxiety about how platforms grant visibility and, by extension, a perceived validity to dangerous ideas.

The most common mistake learners make with legitimar is confusing it with legalizar. While they are related, they are not interchangeable. Legalizar means to make something legal that was previously illegal (like legalizing a substance or a building). Legitimar is about the justification, the rightness, or the official recognition of a status.

Legitimar vs. Legalizar: If you say 'Vão legitimar a maconha,' you are saying they will make it socially acceptable or justify its use. If you say 'Vão legalizar a maconha,' you mean they are changing the law so you won't go to jail for it. Use legalizar for the law books, and legitimar for the 'right' or 'validity' of the thing.

Erro comum: 'O governo quer legalizar a sua autoridade.' (Errado se você quer dizer que eles querem ser vistos como justos. Correto seria: legitimar).

Another mistake is using legitimar when you simply mean 'to prove' (provar) or 'to show' (mostrar). Legitimar always implies an authority or a system of values. You don't 'legitimize' that you were at home last night; you 'prove' it. You 'legitimize' your presence at a restricted event by showing an invitation.

Overuse in casual settings is also a common stylistic error. If you use legitimar to describe why you like a certain pizza, it sounds overly dramatic or academic. Stick to 'justificar' or 'explicar' for everyday personal choices unless you are being intentionally ironic.

Preposition Pitfall: Remember that legitimar is a direct transitive verb. You do not 'legitimar para algo' or 'legitimar de algo.' You simply legitimar algo. Example: 'Legitimo o seu direito' (I legitimize your right), NOT 'Legitimo ao seu direito.'

Cuidado com a tradução literal: Em inglês, 'legitimize' e 'legitimate' (verb) são iguais. Em português, o verbo é legitimar, mas o adjetivo é 'legítimo'.

To sound like a truly advanced (C1/C2) speaker, you need to know when to use legitimar and when to swap it for a more precise synonym. Each alternative carries a slightly different 'flavor' of validation.

Validar: Validar is more technical and less moral. You validar a ticket, a password, or a scientific experiment. It means checking if something meets the technical requirements to be true or usable. Legitimar is about the 'right' to be true.
Ratificar: Ratificar is specifically used for treaties, agreements, or previous decisions. It means to confirm or re-approve something that was already decided. A parliament ratifica an international treaty to legitimar its application in the country.
Sancionar: Sancionar is a high-level legal term. When a President 'sanciona' a law, they are giving it the final official approval. It is a specific act of legitimação.

Comparação: 'Ele tentou justificar o atraso' (Reason) vs. 'Ele tentou legitimar o atraso como um direito trabalhista' (Right).

Other alternatives include autenticar (for documents), autorizar (for permissions), and reconhecer (for general acknowledgement). If you want to say that something makes another thing look okay, you can use abonar—for example, 'O seu bom histórico abona a sua conduta' (Your good history vouches for/legitimizes your conduct).

Formal vs. Informal: In informal speech, people often just use 'dar o OK' or 'aceitar.' 'A mãe deu o OK para a festa' is the casual version of 'A mãe legitimou a realização da festa.' Knowing when to use the formal verb shows your level of education in the language.

How Formal Is It?

Formal

Neutral

Informal

Child friendly

Slang

Fun Fact

The word 'legit' in English slang is a shortened version of 'legitimate,' which shares the exact same Latin root as 'legitimar.'

Pronunciation Guide

UK /le.ʒi.ti.ˈmaɾ/

US /le.ʒi.tʃi.ˈma(ʁ)/

The stress is on the final syllable: 'mar'.

Rhymes With

Amar Falar Cantar Lugar Olhar Andar Pensar Chegar

Common Errors

Pronouncing the 'j' as an English 'j' (dʒ) instead of a soft 'zh' (ʒ).
Skipping the second 'i' (saying 'legitmar').
Stress on the 'ti' (le-gi-TI-mar) instead of the 'mar'.
Confusing the spelling with 'legitimizar' (which is also used but 'legitimar' is preferred in many contexts).
Pronouncing 'le' as 'lee' instead of 'leh'.

Difficulty Rating

Reading 4/5

Common in newspapers and books, but requires understanding abstract contexts.

Writing 5/5

Difficult to use correctly without sounding overly academic or confusing it with 'legalizar'.

Speaking 4/5

Requires good pronunciation of the 'j' and 'ti' sounds.

Listening 3/5

Usually clear in formal speech, though can be fast in news reports.

What to Learn Next

Prerequisites

Lei Poder Direito Verdade Aceitar

Learn Next

Sancionar Ratificar Deslegitimar Hegemonia Instituição

Advanced

Jurisprudência Soberania Subjetividade Ortodoxia

Grammar to Know

Conjugação de verbos regulares em -ar

Eu legitimo, Tu legitimas, Ele legitima...

Voz Passiva Analítica

A ação foi legitimada pelo juiz.

Uso de pronomes oblíquos com infinitivo

É preciso legitimá-lo (legitimar + o).

Orações Substantivas Objetivas Diretas

O povo quer que o governo se legitime.

Formação de substantivos a partir de verbos (-ção)

Legitimar -> Legitimação.

Examples by Level

O juiz vai legitimar o papel.

The judge will legitimize the paper.

Simple future with 'vai' + infinitive.

Eles querem legitimar o novo líder.

They want to legitimize the new leader.

Verb 'querer' followed by infinitive.

A lei legitima o seu direito.

The law legitimizes your right.

Present tense, 3rd person singular.

Eu não posso legitimar isso.

I cannot legitimize this.

Negative sentence with 'poder'.

O voto legitima o governo.

The vote legitimizes the government.

Subject-Verb-Object structure.

Você precisa legitimar a sua assinatura.

You need to legitimize your signature.

Verb 'precisar' + infinitive.

Nós legitimamos o acordo hoje.

We legitimized the agreement today.

Past tense (pretérito perfeito).

O documento está legitimado.

The document is legitimized.

Past participle used as an adjective with 'estar'.

O diretor legitimou a nossa ideia na reunião.

The director legitimized our idea in the meeting.

Pretérito perfeito of a regular -ar verb.

A empresa busca legitimar sua marca no exterior.

The company seeks to legitimize its brand abroad.

Present tense of 'buscar' + infinitive.

Não é fácil legitimar uma mudança tão grande.

It is not easy to legitimize such a big change.

Infinitive used as the subject of the sentence.

O sistema serve para legitimar as notas dos alunos.

The system serves to legitimize students' grades.

Preposition 'para' + infinitive.

Eles legitimaram a posse da casa ontem.

They legitimized the possession of the house yesterday.

3rd person plural, past tense.

A assinatura deve ser legitimada no cartório.

The signature must be legitimized at the notary's office.

Passive voice with 'deve ser'.

Como podemos legitimar esse novo processo?

How can we legitimize this new process?

Interrogative sentence with 'poder'.

O contrato foi legitimado por ambas as partes.

The contract was legitimized by both parties.

Passive voice with 'foi'.

O governo tenta legitimar o aumento de impostos.

The government tries to legitimize the tax increase.

Transitive usage with a complex noun phrase.

A tradição ajuda a legitimar certos comportamentos.

Tradition helps to legitimize certain behaviors.

Verb 'ajudar a' + infinitive.

É preciso legitimar a voz das minorias na sociedade.

It is necessary to legitimize the voice of minorities in society.

Impersonal expression 'É preciso'.

O certificado serve para legitimar a sua experiência profissional.

The certificate serves to legitimize your professional experience.

Purpose clause with 'para'.

Muitos criticam o uso da força para legitimar o poder.

Many criticize the use of force to legitimize power.

Gerund/Infinitive usage in a critical context.

A pesquisa legitimou a teoria apresentada pelo cientista.

The research legitimized the theory presented by the scientist.

Subject-Verb-Object with scientific context.

Se você não assinar, não poderá legitimar o documento.

If you don't sign, you won't be able to legitimize the document.

Conditional 'Se' clause.

O apoio internacional legitimou a independência do país.

International support legitimized the country's independence.

Historical/Political usage.

A mídia tem um papel fundamental em legitimar discursos políticos.

The media plays a fundamental role in legitimizing political discourses.

Preposition 'em' + infinitive.

Não se pode legitimar a violência sob nenhum pretexto.

One cannot legitimize violence under any pretext.

Impersonal 'se' with 'poder'.

O autor busca legitimar sua tese através de dados estatísticos.

The author seeks to legitimize his thesis through statistical data.

Usage of 'através de' for means.

A decisão do tribunal veio legitimar uma prática já comum.

The court's decision came to legitimize an already common practice.

Verb 'vir' + infinitive to show result.

Eles tentaram legitimar o golpe como uma revolução popular.

They tried to legitimize the coup as a popular revolution.

Using 'como' to show perceived identity.

É difícil legitimar um governo que não respeita os direitos humanos.

It is difficult to legitimize a government that does not respect human rights.

Complex sentence with a relative clause 'que'.

A empresa está tentando se legitimar no mercado de luxo.

The company is trying to legitimize itself in the luxury market.

Reflexive 'se' with present continuous.

A aceitação social acaba por legitimar novos arranjos familiares.

Social acceptance ends up legitimizing new family arrangements.

Idiomatic 'acabar por' + infinitive.

O discurso populista visa legitimar ações autoritárias.

Populist discourse aims to legitimize authoritarian actions.

Verb 'visar' used in a political science context.

A historiografia oficial muitas vezes serviu para legitimar o colonialismo.

Official historiography often served to legitimize colonialism.

Noun 'historiografia' as the subject.

É imperativo desconstruir as narrativas que legitimam a opressão.

It is imperative to deconstruct the narratives that legitimize oppression.

Subjunctive mood implication with 'É imperativo'.

A racionalidade técnica é usada para legitimar decisões políticas complexas.

Technical rationality is used to legitimize complex political decisions.

Abstract noun phrases.

O filósofo questiona o que, de fato, legitima o contrato social.

The philosopher questions what, in fact, legitimizes the social contract.

Indirect question structure.

A conformidade com as normas internacionais legitima a atuação do Estado.

Compliance with international norms legitimizes the State's actions.

Subject-verb agreement with complex abstract subject.

Não podemos permitir que a pseudociência se legitime no debate público.

We cannot allow pseudoscience to legitimize itself in public debate.

Subjunctive clause 'que ... se legitime'.

A legitimação do poder decorre da crença na sua legalidade.

The legitimation of power stems from the belief in its legality.

Using the noun form 'legitimação' and verb 'decorrer'.

O regime buscou legitimar-se mediante a instrumentalização do passado nacional.

The regime sought to legitimize itself through the instrumentalization of the national past.

Reflexive verb with 'mediante' (through).

A crise de representatividade deslegitima as instituições democráticas.

The crisis of representativeness delegitimizes democratic institutions.

Use of the antonym 'deslegitimar' in a sociopolitical context.

A eficácia econômica não basta para legitimar uma ditadura a longo prazo.

Economic efficacy is not enough to legitimize a dictatorship in the long run.

Complex negative statement with 'bastar para'.

A autoridade carismática legitima-se pela devoção afetiva dos liderados.

Charismatic authority legitimizes itself through the affective devotion of the followers.

Weberian sociological terminology.

O direito internacional contemporâneo visa legitimar intervenções humanitárias.

Contemporary international law aims to legitimize humanitarian interventions.

High-level academic/legal register.

A hegemonia cultural atua para legitimar a ordem social vigente.

Cultural hegemony acts to legitimize the current social order.

Gramscian terminology.

O processo de subjetivação legitima certas formas de existência em detrimento de outras.

The process of subjectivation legitimizes certain forms of existence to the detriment of others.

Philosophical/Foucauldian usage.

Seria falacioso legitimar o arbítrio com base em uma suposta urgência moral.

It would be fallacious to legitimize arbitrariness based on a supposed moral urgency.

Conditional 'Seria' + complex abstract argument.

Common Collocations

Legitimar o poder

Legitimar o discurso

Legitimar a violência

Legitimar a posse

Legitimar um governo

Legitimar uma prática

Legitimar uma ação

Legitimar o direito

Legitimar a escolha

Legitimar o processo

Common Phrases

Legitimar-se perante

— To prove one's validity or rightness in front of an audience or authority.

O novo CEO precisa se legitimar perante os acionistas.

Busca de legitimação

— The act of trying to find a reason or authority to support an action.

Há uma constante busca de legitimação nas redes sociais.

Legitimar o indefensável

— To try to make something that is clearly wrong seem acceptable.

O advogado tentou legitimar o indefensável.

Crise de legitimação

— A situation where an institution or leader loses the public's trust and perceived right to rule.

O país enfrenta uma grave crise de legitimação das instituições.

Legitimar o status quo

— To reinforce or justify the current state of affairs or power structure.

A educação tradicional muitas vezes serve para legitimar o status quo.

Ato de legitimar

— The specific action of granting validity.

O ato de legitimar a criança foi emocionante para o pai.

Falta de legitimidade

— The absence of the right or authority to act.

A decisão foi anulada por falta de legitimidade.

Legitimar pela força

— Attempting to gain validity through coercion rather than consensus.

Ele tentou legitimar sua liderança pela força.

Legitimar o preconceito

— To make discriminatory views seem valid or normal.

Não podemos permitir piadas que legitimam o preconceito.

Legitimar uma mentira

— To provide a basis for a falsehood to be accepted as truth.

Repetir um erro não vai legitimar uma mentira.

Often Confused With

legitimar vs Legalizar

Legalizar is about the law books; Legitimar is about justice and acceptance.

legitimar vs Justificar

Justificar is giving a reason; Legitimar is establishing a right.

legitimar vs Legislar

Legislar is the act of writing laws; Legitimar is the act of making them valid.

Idioms & Expressions

"Dar legitimidade a"

— To grant or provide the status of being valid or rightful.

Sua presença deu legitimidade ao evento.

Formal

"Cair em deslegitimação"

— To lose one's perceived right or authority.

O político caiu em deslegitimação após o escândalo.

Journalistic

"Legitimar com o carimbo"

— A metaphorical way to say someone gave official approval, often used ironically.

O chefe legitimou a bagunça com o carimbo da sua indiferença.

Informal/Ironic

"Legitimar o pão de cada dia"

— To justify one's livelihood or actions through hard work (rare/literary).

Ele trabalhava duro para legitimar o pão de cada dia.

Literary

"Fora da legitimidade"

— Acting without proper authority or legal basis.

Eles estão operando fora da legitimidade.

Formal

"Legitimar o arbítrio"

— To make a random or tyrannical decision seem lawful.

A nova lei apenas legitima o arbítrio do rei.

Political

"Legitimar por omissão"

— To validate something by failing to act against it.

O silêncio do diretor acabou por legitimar o erro por omissão.

Professional

"Legitimar o grito"

— To validate a protest or a marginalized voice.

A arte urbana serve para legitimar o grito das ruas.

Poetic/Social

"Legitimar o trono"

— To secure one's right to lead (metaphorical).

O novo CEO precisou de resultados rápidos para legitimar o trono.

Business/Metaphorical

"Em nome da legitimidade"

— Using the concept of being rightful as a justification for an action.

Em nome da legitimidade, pedimos novas eleições.

Formal/Political

Easily Confused

legitimar vs Legitimizar

It is a synonym of 'legitimar'.

Both are correct, but 'legitimar' is much more common and preferred in formal writing.

Ele quer legitimizar/legitimar a sua posição.

legitimar vs Validar

Both involve making something 'correct'.

Validar is technical (passwords, tickets); Legitimar is moral/political (authority, rights).

Valide seu ticket no guichê.

legitimar vs Autenticar

Both involve official stamps.

Autenticar is specifically for verifying that a document is a true copy.

Preciso autenticar este contrato.

legitimar vs Sancionar

Both relate to official approval.

Sancionar is the specific act of a head of state signing a bill into law.

O presidente vai sancionar o projeto.

legitimar vs Abonar

Both involve supporting an action.

Abonar usually means to guarantee or vouch for someone's reliability.

Suas referências abonam sua competência.

Sentence Patterns

[Subject] quer legitimar [Object].

O pai quer legitimar a escolha do filho.

[Subject] serve para legitimar [Object].

A lei serve para legitimar o acordo.

Não se pode legitimar [Object] sem [Condition].

Não se pode legitimar o poder sem o voto.

A [Noun] visa legitimar a [Abstract Noun].

A retórica visa legitimar a exclusão.

O processo de [Noun] legitima-se mediante [Means].

O processo de dominação legitima-se mediante a ideologia.

É necessário legitimar [Object].

É necessário legitimar a assinatura.

[Object] foi legitimado por [Agent].

O discurso foi legitimado pela ciência.

Eu vou legitimar [Object].

Eu vou legitimar o meu papel.

Word Family

Nouns

Verbs

Adjectives

How to Use It

frequency

High in news, law, and academia; low in daily chores.

Common Mistakes

Using 'legalizar' for social acceptance. → Legitimar
'Legalizar' is only for laws. 'Legitimar' is for social/moral acceptance.
Saying 'legitmar' (missing the second 'i'). → Legitimar
The word has four syllables: le-gi-ti-mar.
Using 'legitimar de'. → Legitimar [Object]
It is a direct transitive verb. No preposition 'de' or 'a' is needed after it.
Confusing 'legitimar' with 'justificar'. → Legitimar
'Justificar' is explaining why; 'Legitimar' is saying it is right/valid.
Pronouncing 'gi' as 'gui' (like 'guitar'). → le-ji-ti-mar
In Portuguese, 'gi' sounds like 'zhi' (soft 'j').

Tips

Be precise

Don't use 'legitimar' when you mean 'provar'. Use it when rights or authority are involved.

Regular endings

It follows the same pattern as 'falar' or 'cantar'. If you know those, you know 'legitimar'.

Elevate your speech

Using 'legitimar' in a business meeting makes your arguments sound more professional and structured.

Social recognition

Remember that social groups can legitimize things that the law doesn't, and vice versa.

The opposite

Learn 'deslegitimar' at the same time; it’s very useful for critical thinking.

Noun form

Use 'legitimação' (the act) and 'legitimidade' (the quality) to vary your sentences.

The Brazilian 'ti'

In Brazil, say 'le-gi-tchi-mar' to sound like a native.

Brazilian politics

This word is a 'buzzword' in Brazilian political debates. Watch out for it!

News headlines

Look for the word in headlines about the STF (Supreme Court) in Brazil.

The 'Right' to act

Always ask: 'Does this person have the right?' If yes, they are likely being 'legitimado'.

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Think of 'LEG' (Law/Lei) + 'ITI' (It is) + 'MAR' (Make). LEG-ITI-MAR: To make it the law/right.

Visual Association

Imagine a king placing a golden seal (carimbo) on a scroll. The seal is the act of 'legitimar'.

Word Web

Lei Justiça Poder Autoridade Verdade Aceitação Voto Direito

Challenge

Try to use 'legitimar' in a sentence about your favorite hobby or a decision you made recently at work.

Word Origin

From the Medieval Latin 'legitimare', which is derived from the Latin 'legitimus' (lawful, according to law).

Original meaning: The original meaning was strictly to make something legal or to declare a child born out of wedlock as legitimate.

Romance (Latin root: Lex, Legis).

Cultural Context

Be careful when using it in social justice contexts; 'legitimar' can be a sensitive word when discussing which voices are heard and which are silenced.

English speakers often use 'legitimize' and 'validate' interchangeably, but in Portuguese, 'legitimar' feels slightly more formal and heavy.

Max Weber's 'The Three Types of Legitimate Rule' (As Três Fontes da Legitimidade). The 'Poder Constituinte' in Brazilian Law. Machiavelli's 'The Prince' discusses how a new ruler must legitimize his power.

Practice in Real Life

Real-World Contexts

Politics

Legitimar o governo
Legitimar o voto
Legitimar o poder
Legitimar a oposição

Law

Legitimar a posse
Legitimar o documento
Legitimar a prova
Legitimar o herdeiro

Sociology

Legitimar a desigualdade
Legitimar o discurso
Legitimar a cultura
Legitimar a norma

Business

Legitimar a marca
Legitimar o processo
Legitimar a estratégia
Legitimar a liderança

Personal Relationships

Legitimar o sentimento
Legitimar a escolha
Legitimar a dor
Legitimar a opinião

Conversation Starters

"Você acha que as redes sociais ajudam a legitimar notícias falsas?"

"O que, na sua opinião, legitima a autoridade de um chefe no trabalho?"

"Como um artista pode legitimar seu trabalho em um mercado tão competitivo?"

"Você acredita que o voto obrigatório ajuda a legitimar a democracia no Brasil?"

"É possível legitimar uma ação que foi feita por motivos errados?"

Journal Prompts

Escreva sobre um momento em que você sentiu que sua opinião foi legitimada por alguém que você admira.

Reflita sobre como as leis podem legitimar ou deslegitimar certos grupos na sociedade.

Como você busca legitimar suas decisões mais importantes perante sua família?

Descreva a diferença entre algo ser legal e algo ser legitimado pela sociedade.

Analise um filme ou livro onde o protagonista tenta legitimar suas ações questionáveis.

Frequently Asked Questions

10 questions

Legalizar significa tornar algo legal perante a lei (ex: legalizar o jogo). Legitimar significa tornar algo aceitável, justo ou reconhecido como válido, muitas vezes socialmente ou politicamente (ex: legitimamos o poder através do voto).

Sim. Você pode 'legitimar a dor de alguém', o que significa reconhecer que aquela dor é válida e tem o direito de ser sentida.

Não, 'legitimizar' existe e é sinônimo de 'legitimar', mas 'legitimar' é a forma preferida e mais elegante na língua portuguesa.

É um verbo regular: eu legitimei, tu legitimaste, ele legitimou, nós legitimamos, vós legitimastes, eles legitimaram.

É o processo de retirar a validade ou a autoridade de algo ou alguém. Exemplo: 'O escândalo serviu para deslegitimar o partido'.

Sim, no sentido de que um grupo ou processo pode fazer com que uma mentira seja aceita como verdade ou válida dentro de um contexto.

O adjetivo principal é 'legítimo'. Exemplo: 'Um filho legítimo' ou 'Um governo legítimo'.

Usa-se quando o verbo está no infinitivo e o objeto é masculino singular. Ex: 'Vou legitimar o acordo' -> 'Vou legitimá-lo'.

Sim, é um verbo transitivo direto. Quem legitima, legitima alguma coisa.

Em textos jurídicos, artigos de opinião, telejornais e livros de sociologia ou ciência política.