delegitimation

/ˌdiːlɪˌd͡ʒɪtɪˈmeɪʃən/

//ˌdiːlɪˌd͡ʒɪtɪˈmeɪʃən// noun

"delegitimation" is a 14-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“delegitimation” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
14
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The act of removing the legitimacy from something, or of making something illegitimate.

Corpus desk

Index EN-delegitimation · delegitimation · English

delegitimation · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 14 letters
  • VOW-7 7 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "D" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for delegitimation
PropertyValue
Headworddelegitimation
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌdiːlɪˌd͡ʒɪtɪˈmeɪʃən/
Letters14
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “delegitimation” in English

delegitimationranks outside the top 100,000 English headwords, in the long tail of specialist, archaic, or seldom-used vocabulary, exactly the territory where a reader stops mid-sentence to double-check spelling.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

delegitimation is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˌdiːlɪˌd͡ʒɪtɪˈmeɪʃən/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "The act of removing the legitimacy from something, or of making something illegitimate.".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for delegitimation, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From de- + legitimation. The correct English form is delegitimation, spelled D-E-L-E-G-I-T-I-M-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act of removing the legitimacy from something, or of making something illegitimate.

Etymology

From de- + legitimation.

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "delegitimation"?
"delegitimation" is spelled D-E-L-E-G-I-T-I-M-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌdiːlɪˌd͡ʒɪtɪˈmeɪʃən/.
What does "delegitimation" mean?
As a noun, "delegitimation" means: The act of removing the legitimacy from something, or of making something illegitimate.
How do you pronounce "delegitimation"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "delegitimation" is /ˌdiːlɪˌd͡ʒɪtɪˈmeɪʃən/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "delegitimation"?
From de- + legitimation. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list