legitimately
adv.in a way that follows the law or rules. You can also use it to say that a feeling or reason is fair and makes sense.
adv.in a manner conforming to laws or established rules; by logical extension, used to describe actions or feelings that are justifiable and valid.
“He earned the money legitimately through his business.”
“The committee questioned whether the candidate had legitimately obtained the signatures required for the ballot.”
“While the critic's tone was harsh, she was legitimately concerned that the structural flaws in the building could pose a significant safety risk to future residents.”
Can function as a manner adverb or as a sentence-modifying disjunct to emphasize the truth of a statement.
Learners sometimes use the adverb as a predicate adjective; 'legitimately' must modify a verb, adjective, or another adverb.
“What power is the president asserting here that would legitimately allow him, or the executive, to demand these changes?”
From legitimate + -ly.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.