legitimar

Senses

1. 1.

   to legitimize, to legitimate

   to make lawful or valid; to justify or authorize something

2. 2.

   to validate, to authenticate

   to confirm the authenticity or legality of something

3. 3.

   to recognize (legally)

   to officially acknowledge, especially in legal contexts like recognizing a child

Examples

• "O novo decreto visa legitimar a presença das comunidades indígenas nas terras ancestrais."

  The new decree aims to legitimize the presence of indigenous communities on ancestral lands.

• "É preciso legitimar os documentos no cartório antes de apresentá-los ao tribunal."

  The documents need to be authenticated at the notary's office before presenting them to the court.

• "O pai decidiu legitimar o filho que teve fora do casamento."

  The father decided to legally recognize the child he had outside of marriage.

Usage

Formal register verb commonly used in legal, political, and administrative contexts. Often collocates with words like "poder" (power), "autoridade" (authority), "documentos" (documents), and "direitos" (rights). The related adjective is "legítimo/a" and the noun is "legitimação."