justify

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verb jus·ti·fy \ ˈjə-stə-ˌfī \

Definition of justify

justified; justifying

transitive verb

1 a :to prove or show to be just, right, or reasonable

trying to justify his selfish behavior

I shouldn't have to justify myself to them.

justify the ways of God to man
—John Milton

b (1) :to show to have had a sufficient legal reason

(2) :to qualify (oneself) as a surety (see surety 3) by taking oath to the ownership of sufficient property

2 a :to judge, regard, or treat as righteous and worthy of salvation

God justifies with his forgiveness and grace the man who comes to him
—Will Herberg

b archaic :to administer justice to

c archaic :absolve

3 a :to space (lines of text) so that the lines come out even at the margin

b :to make even by spacing lines of text

justified margins

intransitive verb

1 a :to show a sufficient lawful reason for an act done

b :to qualify as bail or surety

the surety justified on the bail bond

2 :to justify lines of text

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justifier

play \ˈjə-stə-ˌfī(-ə)r\ noun

See justify defined for English-language learners

See justify defined for kids

Examples of justify in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of justify from the Web

The second, much smaller element involves justifying the Electoral College as a necessary brake against majority rule.

— jonathan chait, Daily Intelligencer, "Republicans Confuse the Electoral College With ‘the American People’," 29 Aug. 2017
A $30 ticket includes both days of entertainment plus two beers, which is a pretty good deal itself, but is all the easier to justify since all the proceeds from tickets will be donated to local charities.

— brittany martin, Los Angeles Magazine, "The 10 Best Things to Do in L.A. for Labor Day Weekend," 28 Aug. 2017
After a federal investigation into the New Orleans Police Department similar to the one undertaken in Chicago, that city instituted a policy that says merely running away does not justify a Taser use.

— dan hinkel, chicagotribune.com, "Chicago cops get more Tasers, but red flags remain," 25 Aug. 2017
But most serious outlets accept that click-attraction does not justify misleading headline creation.

— berny belvedere, National Review, "The Destructive Power of Progressive Overreach," 22 Aug. 2017
Still, the question is whether today’s hype on self-driving or electric cars is justified — or even real at all.

— ed wallace, star-telegram, "It Was 20 Years Ago Today," 18 Aug. 2017
This trial, writes Cronin, used something James had written in Daemonologie to justify using a child as the prime witness.

— kat eschner, Smithsonian, "England’s Witch Trials Were Lawful," 18 Aug. 2017
One key point of discussion was whether limitations of the applicable zoning code qualifed as a hardship sufficient to justify the zoning variance.

— lawrence specker, AL.com, "Zoning spat over Haint Blue brewery gets day in court -- and no quick resolution," 10 Aug. 2017
Liberty University photo Mecklenburg County District Attorney Andrew Murray has ruled that the shooting was legally justified and that Vinson would not face criminal charges.

— jane wester, charlotteobserver, "Closed-door inquiry into deadly CMPD shooting enters second day," 9 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'justify.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of justify

Middle English justifien, from Anglo-French or Late Latin; Anglo-French justifier, from Late Latin justificare, from Latin justus — see ¹just

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First Known Use: 14th century

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justify Synonyms

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

Synonym Discussion of justify

maintain, assert, defend, vindicate, justify mean to uphold as true, right, just, or reasonable. maintain stresses firmness of conviction.

- steadfastly maintained his innocence

assert suggests determination to make others accept one's claim.

- asserted her rights

defend implies maintaining in the face of attack or criticism.

- defended his voting record

vindicate implies successfully defending.

- his success vindicated our faith in him

justify implies showing to be true, just, or valid by appeal to a standard or to precedent.

- the action was used to justify military intervention

JUSTIFY Defined for English Language Learners

justify

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verb

Definition of justify for English Language Learners

: to provide or be a good reason for (something) : to prove or show (something) to be just, right, or reasonable
: to provide a good reason for the actions of (someone)
: to position (text) so that the edges form a straight line

JUSTIFY Defined for Kids

justify

play

verb jus·ti·fy \ ˈjəs-tə-ˌfī \

Definition of justify for Students

justified; justifying

:to prove or show to be just, right, or reasonable

How can you justify your actions?

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justifiable

\-ə-bəl\ adjective

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justifiably

\-blē\ adverb

Law Dictionary

justify

play

verb jus·ti·fy \ ˈjəs-tə-ˌfī \

legal Definition of justify

justified; justifying

transitive verb

1 :to prove or show to be just, right, or reasonable

does not justify a denial of bail

2 :to show to have had a legally sufficient reason or cause

a defendant may not set up his own standard of conduct to justify or excuse himself
—State v. Doss, 568 P.2d 1054 (1977)

intransitive verb

1 :to show a legally sufficient reason for an act

2 :to swear an oath as to the ownership of sufficient property

they shall justify in an amount no less than $200
—Oregon Revised Statutes

; also :to qualify as a surety by swearing such an oath

the defendants sought to justify as bail
—State v. Blaisdell, 253 A.2d 341 (1969)

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JUSTIFY Defined for English Language Learners

justify

Definition of justify for English Language Learners

JUSTIFY Defined for Kids

justify

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justifiable

justifiably

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justify

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