justify

jus·ti·fy

verb \ˈjəs-tə-ˌfī\

jus·ti·fiedjus·ti·fy·ing

Definition of JUSTIFY

transitive verb

1

a : to prove or show to be just, right, or reasonable b (1) : to show to have had a sufficient legal reason (2) : to qualify (oneself) as a surety by taking oath to the ownership of sufficient property

2

a archaic : to administer justice to b archaic : absolve c : to judge, regard, or treat as righteous and worthy of salvation

3

a : to space (as lines of text) so that the lines come out even at the margin b : to make even by justifying <justified margins>

intransitive verb

1

a : to show a sufficient lawful reason for an act done b : to qualify as bail or surety

2

: to justify lines of text

— jus·ti·fi·er \-ˌfī(-ə)r\ noun

Examples of JUSTIFY

1. He tried to justify his behavior by saying that he was being pressured unfairly by his boss.
2. The fact that we are at war does not justify treating innocent people as criminals.

Origin of JUSTIFY

Middle English justifien, from Anglo-French or Late Latin; Anglo-French justifier, from Late Latin justificare, from Latin justus

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to JUSTIFY

Synonyms: excuse

Related Words: account (for), alibi, explain, explain away, rationalize; brush (aside or off), condone, disregard, forgive, gloss (over), gloze (over), ignore, pardon, pass over, remit, shrug off, wink (at)

Near Antonyms: abandon, abjure, forsake, recant, retract, take back, withdraw; reverse, switch; controvert, disprove, rebut, refute

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Rhymes with JUSTIFY

abide by, Adonai, alibi, alkali, amplify, apple-pie, argufy, assegai, azo dye, basify, beautify, butterfly, by-and-by, caddis fly, calcify, certify, Chou En-lai, citify, clarify, classify, coalify, cockneyfy, codify, college try, cottage pie, crucify, cut-and-try, cutie-pie, DIY, damnify, damselfly, dandify, deify, densify, dignify, dobsonfly, do-or-die, dragonfly, dulcify, eagle eye, edify, evil eye, falsify, fancify, fortify, frenchify, fructify, gasify, Gemini, gentrify, glorify, goggle-eye, goldeneye, gratify, Haggai, harvest fly, hexerei, high and dry, hip and thigh, Hokusai, hook and eye, horrify, hoverfly, humble pie, Iceni, kiss good-bye, lazy eye, lignify, liquefy, lithify, Lorelei, lullaby, Madurai, magnify, Malachi, Maracay, minify, modify, mollify, Molokai, Mordecai, mortify, multi-ply, multiply, mummify, mystify, nazify, notify, nullify, occupy, old school tie, on standby, on the fly, ossify, overbuy, overfly, overlie, pacify, Paraguay, passerby, peccavi, petrify, PPI, preachify, prettify, private eye, prophesy, purify, putrefy, qualify, quantify, ramify, rarefy, ratify, RBI, rectify, reify, res gestae, robber fly, runner's high, Russify, samurai, sanctify, satisfy, scarify, schwarmerei, semidry, set store by, shepherd's pie, shoofly pie, signify, simplify, Spanish fly, specify, speechify, stratify, stultify, stupefy, sweetie pie, Tenebrae, terrify, testify, tie-and-dye, tigereye, Trans Alai, tumble dry, typify, uglify, underlie, unify, Uruguay, Veneti, verify, versify, vilify, vinify, vitrify, vivify, weather eye, Windsor tie, xanthene dye, yuppify, zombify