Legitimacy
Etymology
From Latin “legitimus,” “lawful, according to law,” from “lex, legis,” “law.” Though rooted in legality, the word long ago outgrew it: a regime can be perfectly legal and still lack legitimacy if the governed no longer accept its right to rule. Legitimacy is about believed rightfulness, not mere compliance with statute.
noun · /lih-JIT-ih-muh-see/
The quality of being widely accepted as rightful and entitled to be obeyed.
What it names
Reach for it to name the difference between a government people obey because they should and one they obey only because they must.
Example
The rigged election left the new president in office but drained his legitimacy.
Related idea
Legality is conformity to the written law; legitimacy is acceptance as rightful. A coup can install a legal order that most citizens regard as illegitimate, and a beloved leader can bend the law without losing legitimacy — the two come apart precisely in crises.