Link Centre Dictionary

justify

jus·tify

UK/ˈd͡ʒʌstɪfaɪ/ US/ˈdʒʌstʌˌfaɪ/ fairly common

verb

1.

show to be reasonable or provide adequate ground for

  • “The emergency does not warrant all of us buying guns”
  • “The end justifies the means”
Synonyms
2.

show to be right by providing justification or proof

  • “vindicate a claim”
Synonyms
3.

defend, explain, clear away, or make excuses for by reasoning

  • “rationalize the child”
  • “;”
Synonyms
4.

let off the hook

  • “I absolve you from this responsibility”
Synonyms
Antonyms
5.

adjust the spaces between words

  • “justify the margins”

Origin

From Middle English justifien, from Old French justifier, from Late Latin justificare (“make just”), from Latin justus, iustus (“just”) + ficare (“make”), from facere, equivalent to just + -ify.

Phrases

  • justifying space
  • the ends justify the means

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

Narrower terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.