Abstract: Different Chinese translations are required for the multiple meanings of legitimacy. Translators shall give up nomenclatural anticipation of “100% correspondence” or “all meanings included” in Chinese translation. As a key word or key term in political philosophy, legitimacy can be translated as “hefaxing” “zhengdangxing”, and so on. However, “hefaxing” is not proper because it is also the translation of “legality”; “zhengdangxing” is not proper because it is also the translation of “justness” and “justification”. The basic meaning of legitimacy is that regime or government is accepted and admitted by people, so “kenrenxing” or “renshouxing” is the most appropriate translation.

Key words: legitimacy, term of political philosophy, Monosemierung, translation of term