Delegitimised

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Stripped of legitimacy, so that an institution, claim or authority is no longer accepted as valid or rightful
2. Having lost public acceptance as lawful or rightful, leaving a government, leader or idea without credibility
3. Made to appear illegitimate or unworthy of recognition, often through deliberate criticism or discrediting

Etymology: "Delegitimised" is the past tense and past participle of "delegitimise", a verb built from the prefix "de-" and "legitimise". The prefix comes from Latin "de", meaning "down from" or "away", and in English it signals removal or reversal, so the verb means to strip something of its legitimacy: to take away the rightful standing or authority that it had. "Legitimise" itself descends from Latin "legitimus", "lawful", which is formed from "lex" ("law"). To legitimise something was to make it conform to law or to recognise it as lawful. Adding "de-" reverses that process, so "delegitimise" describes the undoing of that recognition. The formation is a straightforward one: a prefix attached to an existing verb, with no hidden history.

Synonyms: discredit, undermine, invalidate, subvert, weaken

Antonyms: legitimise, legitimate, validate, authorise, ratify