vindicate

verb vin·di·cate \ ˈvin-də-ˌkāt \

|Updated on: 9 Jun 2018

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Examples: vindicate in a Sentence

Editor's Note: Did You Know?

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

vindicate was our Word of the Day on 07/18/2017. Hear the podcast!

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

Gowdy told Fox News on Tuesday night that the briefing vindicated the FBI.

— the washington post, NOLA.com, "Trump insists he didn't fire Comey over Russia probe, contradicting himself," 31 May 2018
Harris said the settlement vindicated his reputation.

— rebekah l. sanders, azcentral, "Maricopa County pays $640,000 to settle wrongful termination lawsuit," 10 May 2018
While Trump said the memo vindicates him in the Mueller probe, that investigation remains ongoing, exploring, among other things, possible collusion.

— kurtis lee, latimes.com, "Trump often characterizes things — such as DACA and Obamacare — as 'dead.' Is that right?," 4 May 2018
Victoria Valentino, who has accused Cosby of raping her in the 1960s, said the verdict vindicated her and all the women who have spoken out.

— eric levenson, CNN, "The long, winding path to Bill Cosby's guilty verdict," 27 Apr. 2018
After a judge denied Cosby’s motion to dismiss her case in 2016, Ruehli, feeling vindicated, withdrew her case.

— harriet sokmensuer, PEOPLE.com, "50 Years After Bill Cosby Allegedly Drugged Her, One Accuser Says, 'We All Spoke Truth to Power'," 26 Apr. 2018
In the first half of this season, the Manchester City centre back finally began to vindicate his £50m price tag.

— SI.com, "FanView: Why Man City's John Stones May Need to Leave the Premier League to Fulfil His Potential," 26 Apr. 2018
At very least today should prove entertaining #CUBuffs Miller, of course, has not been vindicated.

— andrew joseph, For The Win, "Arizona fans are convinced Sean Miller has already been 'vindicated'," 8 Mar. 2018
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

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