Synonyms & Antonyms for vindicate

Synonyms

Antonyms

Choose the Right Synonym for vindicate

exculpate, absolve, exonerate, acquit, vindicate mean to free from a charge. exculpate implies a clearing from blame or fault often in a matter of small importance. exculpating himself from the charge of overenthusiasm absolve implies a release either from an obligation that binds the conscience or from the consequences of disobeying the law or committing a sin. cannot be absolved of blame exonerate implies a complete clearance from an accusation or charge and from any attendant suspicion of blame or guilt. exonerated by the investigation acquit implies a formal decision in one's favor with respect to a definite charge. voted to acquit the defendant vindicate may refer to things as well as persons that have been subjected to critical attack or imputation of guilt, weakness, or folly, and implies a clearing effected by proving the unfairness of such criticism or blame. her judgment was vindicated

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

Did You Know?

It's not surprising that the two earliest senses of "vindicate," which has been used in English since at least the mid-16th century, are "to set free" (a sense that is now obsolete) and "to avenge." Vindicate derives from Latin vindicatus, the past participle of the verb vindicare, meaning "to set free, avenge, or lay claim to." "Vindicare," in turn, derives from "vindex," a noun meaning "claimant" or "avenger." Other descendants of "vindicare" in English include such vengeful words as "avenge" itself, "revenge," "vengeance," "vendetta," and "vindictive." Closer cousins of "vindicate" are "vindicable" ("capable of being vindicated") and the archaic word vindicative ("punitive").

Examples of vindicate in a Sentence

She will be completely vindicated by the evidence. These discoveries vindicate their theory. Their approach to the problem has been vindicated by the positive results. He felt vindicated when the truth became known.

Recent Examples on the Web Matze's attorneys, James Pisanelli and Todd Bice, said in a brief statement Tuesday the lawsuit aims to vindicate Matze's rights, correct his wrongful termination and address breaches of contract and good faith. — Ken Ritter, Star Tribune, "Parler network founder claims GOP donor, others defamed him," 23 Mar. 2021 Matze's attorneys, James Pisanelli and Todd Bice, said in a brief statement Tuesday the lawsuit aims to vindicate Matze's rights, correct his wrongful termination and address breaches of contract and good faith. — Ken Ritter, USA TODAY, "Parler founder claims GOP donor, others defamed him and 'hijacked' the app to advance their interests," 23 Mar. 2021 And alongside the scholarly ferment, there was a mad scramble to discover artifacts that might vindicate various claims about the Bible. — Jennifer Schuessler, New York Times, "Is a Long-Dismissed Forgery Actually the Oldest Known Biblical Manuscript?," 10 Mar. 2021 The attempt by Protestant reformer John Calvin to vindicate God’s sovereignty ultimately forced him to abjure any meaningful belief in human free will, leaving us as either tools in the hands of our Maker or utter slaves to sin. — Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review, "Christopher Nolan’s Tenet Tackles a Christian Mystery," 25 Jan. 2021 Georgetown University Law Center professor Cliff Sloan, one of the lawyers representing Walker, told CNN in a statement Saturday that the lawsuit was important to vindicate Walker's rights. — Artemis Moshtaghian, CNN, "Breonna Taylor's boyfriend files federal lawsuit alleging Louisville police violated his rights during raid," 14 Mar. 2021 Using new information from the documents, the series reexamines how the notion that Dylan was coached by her mother Mia was reinforced to vindicate Allen in the media without his being cleared by investigators. — Nick Allen, Vulture, "How Allen v. Farrow Obtained Never-Before-Seen Home Videotapes and Lost Documents," 7 Mar. 2021 The information appears to vindicate the U.K.’s policy of stretching limited vaccine supplies by delaying a second shot to up to 12 weeks after the first, while also emphasizing the extra protection that comes from a second shot. — Jason Douglas, WSJ, "Covid-19 Vaccinations Cut Hospitalizations and Deaths, U.K. Finds," 22 Feb. 2021 In a brief text message exchange with NBC News, Mateo said that footage of the incident was selectively edited and that fuller video from multiple angles would vindicate him. — NBC News, "Suspect arrested in violent shoving of Asian American woman in New York," 19 Feb. 2021

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