justify

1 of 2

verb

jus·​ti·​fy ˈjə-stə-ˌfī 

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 sense 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

ˈjə-stə-ˌfī(-ə)r 

noun

justifier

2 of 2

noun

jus·​ti·​fi·​er ˈjəstəˌfī(ə)r 

-īə

plural -s

: one that justifies: such as

a

: a person who vindicates or absolves

b

: a graver for trimming the walls in enamel work

Synonyms of justify

Verb

• explain
• excuse

Choose the Right Synonym for 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

Examples of justify in a Sentence

Verb

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 on the Web

Verb

While the use of subpoena power against journalists has always been highly controversial, officials in past administrations sometimes justified it by arguing it was used as a last resort, after other investigative avenues were exhausted. — Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 23 July 2026

Since his arrival, there hasn’t been much to even justify using a fourth on his services. — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 July 2026

This Richfield Coliseum tape isn’t quite clean enough to justify a release. — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 23 July 2026

Armstrong argued that only a permanent endowment generating enough investment income to cover most annual costs would justify reinstatement. — Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 23 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

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

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Phrases Containing justify

• justify oneself

Rhymes for justify

• abscissae
• adonai
• alibi
• alkali
• alumni
• amoebae
• amplify
• annuli
• beautify
• brachii
• butterfly
• calculi

Kids Definition

justify

verb

jus·​ti·​fy ˈjəs-tə-ˌfī 

justified; justifying

1

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

2

: to release from the guilt of sin

justifiable

ˈjəs-tə-ˌfī-ə-bəl

adjective

justifiably

-blē

adverb

justifier

-ˌfī(-ə)r 

noun

Legal Definition

justify

verb

jus·​ti·​fy ˈjəs-tə-ˌfī 

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)