Delegitimisation

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The process of stripping a government, institution, or claim of its rightful authority or public acceptance
2. The act of undermining the recognized legitimacy of a person, system, or idea so it is no longer seen as valid
3. Discrediting an authority or practice until it loses its standing as lawful, proper, or justified in the eyes of others

Etymology: "Delegitimisation" is a modern formation, built in English by attaching the prefix "de-" to "legitimization." The prefix comes from Latin "dē-", meaning "down from" or "away from," and in "delegitimization" it reverses or removes the quality named by the base word. So the term means the process of stripping something of its legitimacy. The base word traces through "legitimize," which entered English from Late Latin "legitimizare," itself built on Latin "legitimus," meaning "lawful." "Legitimize" passed through Middle French, where the "-iser" ending had been adopted from Late Latin "-izare," a verb-making ending borrowed into Greek and later Latin. English then added "-ation" to form "legitimization," the noun describing the act of making something lawful or accepted. Putting these pieces together, "delegitimisation" is essentially a noun for undoing legitimacy: a debate, a campaign, or an argument that sets out to convince people that an institution, government, or claim no longer deserves recognition. The British spelling with "-is-" is an alternative to the American "-iz-" form, and both are accepted.

Synonyms: delegitimization, delegitimation

Antonyms: legitimisation, legitimization, legitimation