self-justification

noun

self-jus·​ti·​fi·​ca·​tion ˌself-ˌjə-stə-fə-ˈkā-shən 

: the act or an instance of making excuses for oneself

Examples of self-justification in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

If one were looking for a sports league that most faithfully reflects the modern United States — its stratification, its rituals of self-justification, its remarkable talent for dressing inequality in the language of tradition — Major League Baseball would be hard to beat. — Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 May 2026

Beneath this never-ending arms race and cycle of vicious self-justification, life becomes harder for any normal fan. — Simon Hughes, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2026

For Marchant, that self-justification is central to Peter’s downfall. — Jp Mangalindan, Time, 6 Nov. 2025

And there is no darkness – including sickness, anxiety, or self-justification – that the light of Christ can’t break through. — Liz Butterfield Wallingford, Christian Science Monitor, 29 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1775, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for self-justification

• acclimatisation
• acclimatization
• acidification
• actualization
• annualization
• autocorrelation
• autoregulation
• beatification
• beneficiation
• biodegradation
• biotransformation
• bureaucratization