justify

verb

jus·​ti·​fy ˈjə-stə-ˌfī How to pronounce justify (audio)
justified; justifying

transitive verb

1
a
: 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 manJohn 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
2
a
: to judge, regard, or treat as righteous and worthy of salvation
God justifies with his forgiveness and grace the man who comes to himWill Herberg
b
archaic : to administer justice to
c
archaic : absolve
3
a
: 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

1
a
: 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
justifier noun
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
This pattern suggests potential sensitivity to macroeconomic shocks. LLY Valuation Sensitivity: The company’s elevated multiple, while justified by growth prospects, creates vulnerability to any disappointment in execution or market sentiment shifts. Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025 In the show’s April 15 premiere, Jax strives to justify his actions in a confessional interview. Kate Aurthur, Variety, 18 June 2025 Only time will tell if the ploy works, but there is really no artist-friendly end justifying these means, not even in the founders' own words. Sheldon Pearce, NPR, 17 June 2025 However, news like this from Amazon started to utilize these services more and looking to potentially cut employees as a result seemingly justifies those earlier concerns.... Hollie Silverman suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for justify

Word History

Etymology

Middle English justifien, from Anglo-French or Late Latin; Anglo-French justifier, from Late Latin justificare, from Latin justus — see just entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Justify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/justify. Accessed 27 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

justify

verb
jus·​ti·​fy ˈjəs-tə-ˌfī How to pronounce justify (audio)
justified; justifying
1
: to prove or show to be just, right, legal, or reasonable
2
: to release from the guilt of sin
justifiable
ˈjəs-tə-ˌfī-ə-bəl
adjective
justifiably
-blē
adverb
justifier noun

Legal Definition

justify

verb
jus·​ti·​fy ˈjəs-tə-ˌfī How to pronounce justify (audio)
justified; justifying

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 himselfState 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 $200Oregon 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)

More from Merriam-Webster on justify

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