At other times he was the essential unifying prop the military needed to give legitimacy to their coups.

The project of writing a constitution for Iraq that would give legitimacy to its rulers is reaching a crescendo.

They could also insist on a second referendum to give legitimacy to the programme they were going to help implement.

Forget all that media nonsense about the need for a decisive mandate to give legitimacy to the proposed Welsh assembly.

Republicans and some leaders in the Cuban-American community oppose the trip, believing it will give legitimacy to the island's Communist government.

In his zeal to repair the broken bridges with Muslim countries Obama cannot allow himself to give legitimacy to such regimes.

I am worried about a backlash from the right and he will give legitimacy to those views in the minds of some.

Some critics said the decision to add the definition could give legitimacy to use of a term that they viewed as unequivocally racist.

Critics are concerned the polls will be rigged to give legitimacy to the regime and entrench nearly half a century of army rule.

Just days after voicing anger over Netanyahu's Jordan Valley annexation plan, Palestinians said no Israeli government decision could give legitimacy to settlements in occupied territory.

The United States for years deliberately referred to the nation of 60 million people as Burma, so as not to give legitimacy to military governments.

Conquering the past, the word gives legitimacy to explanations that presume it.

Do you think that given legitimacy, they would stop dealing drugs?

He complained the performance gave legitimacy to Indian rule in Kashmir.

The Iraqi government was initially lukewarm about giving legitimacy to men it once called enemies by allowing them to carry weapons.

You don't feed the trolls -the forehead flickers of the internet -because in doing so, you're giving legitimacy to their words.