justify

verb

jus·ti·fy | \ ˈjə-stə-ˌfī

justified; justifying

Definition of justify

1a : 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

2a : 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

3a : 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

1a : 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

Other Words from justify Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about justify

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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

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

Google chose the latter, justifying it on the grounds that editing shadows back in is trivial compared to trying to edit detail into shadows. — Vlad Savov, The Verge, "Google gives the Pixel camera superhuman night vision," 14 Nov. 2018 The risks are enormous and the benefits probably do not justify it. — John Ismay, New York Times, "Why the Thailand Cave Rescue Was So Difficult: A Diver Explains," 10 July 2018 Couture has seemingly been trying hard to justify itself (and its exorbitant price tags) in the new world of streetwear and athleisure, showing off its tricks and trims and the inside of its ateliers. — Rhonda Richford, The Hollywood Reporter, "Valentino's Magical Couture Week Closer Leaves Tracee Ellis Ross in Tears," 5 July 2018 Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden said there was not enough evidence to determine if two Adams County deputies were legally justified in the November 2015 shooting of Council rancher Jack Yantis. — Cynthia Sewell, idahostatesman, "Training, mental health, growth behind Idaho's spike in police shootings, says expert," 2 July 2018 Read More Video shows Topeka police shooting man in the back; D.A. says no charges to be filed Kagay said that the shooting was justified in part because White's hand had hovered over a pocket that contained a gun. — Joe Robertson, kansascity, "No 'cause or provocation': Father sues Topeka police for killing his son," 28 June 2018 Lake County Prosecutor’s Office later ruled that the officer was justified in the shooting. — Becky Jacobs, Post-Tribune, "Man sentenced in cellphone store robbery linked to shooting of boy, 15," 20 June 2018 Like most people, Genevieve can't justify spending a lot of money on decorations that will be on display for a month or so at most, so finding great deals on decorations is key. — Taylor Mead, House Beautiful, "Genevieve Gorder Shares How To Decorate For The Holidays Without Breaking The Bank," 13 Nov. 2018 Patrick Kennedy, vice president, strategic growth for V3 Companies, which is working with Jupiter Realty and handles civil engineering, contracting, environmental, planning and surveying services, said floodwater concerns are not justified. — Chuck Fieldman, chicagotribune.com, "Residents crowd Oak Brook meeting to oppose 22-story luxury condo development," 12 July 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.

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Last Updated

14 Apr 2019

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The first known use of justify was in the 14th century

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More Definitions for justify

justify

verb

English Language Learners Definition of justify

: 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)

technical : to position (text) so that the edges form a straight line

See the full definition for justify in the English Language Learners Dictionary

justify

verb

jus·ti·fy | \ ˈjəs-tə-ˌfī

justified; justifying

Kids Definition of justify

: to prove or show to be just, right, or reasonable How can you justify your actions?

Other Words from justify

justifiable \ -ə-bəl \ adjective

justifiably \ -blē \ adverb

justify

verb

jus·ti·fy | \ ˈjəs-tə-ˌfī

justified; justifying

Legal Definition of justify

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)