vindicate

verb vin·di·cate \ ˈvin-də-ˌkāt \

Updated on: 12 May 2018

Definition of vindicate

vindicated; vindicating

transitive verb

1 a : to free from allegation or blame

b (1) : confirm, substantiate

(2) : to provide justification or defense for : justify

c : to protect from attack or encroachment : defend

2 : avenge

3 : to maintain a right to

4 obsolete : to set free : deliver

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vindicator

play \ˈvin-di-ˌkā-tər\ noun

See vindicate defined for English-language learners

See vindicate defined for kids

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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 of vindicate from the Web

The court case was eventually thrown out, but he was never vindicated.

— National Geographic, "Meet the Man Who Knew Cecil the Lion Best," 28 Apr. 2018
The panel of seven men and five women reached a verdict after deliberating 14 hours over two days, vindicating prosecutors' decision to retry Cosby after his first trial ended with a hung jury less than a year ago.

— michael r. sisak and claudia lauer, The Christian Science Monitor, "Jury finds Bill Cosby guilty in sexual assault retrial," 26 Apr. 2018
In court today, many women felt vindicated by the guilty verdict.

— britni danielle, Essence.com, "Bill Cosby Found Guilty On All Counts In Sexual Assault Retrial," 26 Apr. 2018
Regardless, science now (finally) confirms that kid's are happier with less toys and we are finally vindicated.

— amanda garrity, Good Housekeeping, "Kids Are Actually Happier With Fewer Toys, Science Says," 18 Apr. 2018
Nonetheless, a pickup in the annual core CPI gain will help vindicate Fed policy makers’ assertion that transient factors were restraining inflation last year.

— sho chandra, Bloomberg.com, "U.S. Inflation Finally Set to Break Free From Wireless Drag," 10 Apr. 2018
This is one of those weeks when people who hate partisanship seem vindicated.

— ed kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, "Why Rural America Controls the Debates Over Guns and Immigration," 16 Feb. 2018
Recent developments appear to vindicate the I.A.A.F.’s cautious approach to restoring Russian membership.

— tariq panja, New York Times, "Inside the Deadlock Over Russia’s Track and Field Athletes," 20 Apr. 2018
Good things come to those who wait, though, and Hreiðarsson’s Premier League toils were soon to be vindicated.

— SI.com, "Pascal Chimbonda & 24 Other Classic Premier League Players: No. 4 - Hermann Hreiðarsson," 19 Apr. 2018

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.

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").

Origin and Etymology of vindicate

Latin vindicatus, past participle of vindicare to lay claim to, avenge, from vindic-, vindex claimant, avenger

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1571

in the meaning defined at sense 4

See Words from the same year

vindicate Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of 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

VINDICATE Defined for English Language Learners

vindicate

verb

Definition of vindicate for English Language Learners

: to show that (someone) should not be blamed for a crime, mistake, etc. : to show that (someone) is not guilty
: to show that (someone or something that has been criticized or doubted) is correct, true, or reasonable