justify

verb jus·ti·fy \ ˈjə-stə-ˌfī \

Updated on: 15 Apr 2018

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

—

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

Activists have called for his firing for the shooting, while his defenders, including police union leaders, have said he was justified in shooting an armed assailant.

— dan hinkel, chicagotribune.com, "Randomly chosen Police Board member to decide if Chicago cop to face potential firing over shooting," 12 Apr. 2018
In Peru, the president and his allies, increasingly convinced of the opposition’s bad faith, felt justified in violating norms of legislative behavior in self-defense.

— javier corrales, Washington Post, "The threat of impeachment can push presidents out the door. But there’s a catch.," 11 Apr. 2018
Ten months after a man who had a toy gun was shot by Los Angeles police, then run over by an uncontrolled patrol car, police commissioners determined Tuesday that the officers were justified in using deadly force.

— kate mather, latimes.com, "Police Commission clears LAPD officers who fatally shot a man who had a toy gun," 11 Apr. 2018
An expert witness for the defense testified that Mims posed minimal risk to the officer and that Donaldson was not legally justified in using his weapon.

— michael gordon, charlotteobserver, "Jury finds negligence in police shooting of Charlotte man, awards family $100,000 | Charlotte Observer," 10 Apr. 2018
Birthing-through-the-vag was easier to justify in casual conversation and in personal essays on the internet.

— meaghan o'connell, The Cut, "This Time, I’m Not Afraid to Give Birth," 9 Apr. 2018
If Minnesota feels justified in doing that, why is Sisco in the wrong for taking advantage of their defensive alignment and getting himself an easy single?

— baltimoresun.com, "What they're saying about Chance Sisco's bunt against the shift in Orioles' 7-0 loss to Twins," 2 Apr. 2018
State authorities announced this week that Salamoni was justified in shooting Sterling outside a Baton Rouge convenience store, and that no charges would be brought against him or Lake.

— nick valencia, CNN, "Alton Sterling case: Decision on officers' discipline expected Friday, with more videos coming," 30 Mar. 2018
Antitrust policies may be justified in terms of limiting anti-competitive behavior that hurts other firms in the U.S. economy.

— michael lind, Fortune, "Commentary: Who Wins After U.S. Antitrust Regulators Attack? China.," 29 Mar. 2018

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

justify Synonyms

Phrases

stand up for, stick up for;

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

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