justify

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“
Whenever one of their people seem to commit some crime that they cannot justify, that is the blanket excuse that they use to dismiss their actions from the plate.

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Definitions (24)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (8)

  1. transitive verb To demonstrate or prove to be just, right, or valid: justified each budgetary expense as necessary; anger that is justified by the circumstances.
  2. transitive verb To declare free of blame; absolve.
  3. transitive verb To free (a human) of the guilt and penalty attached to grievous sin. Used of God.
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Examples (50)

  • And this also gives the writers (Chuck Pfarrer and Ilene Chaiken) and the director (rock video veteran David Hogan, taking over from a fired Adam Rifkin) a chance to justify -- in their own minds -- having their hard-bitten heroine assume certain "cover" identities -- like exotic dancer and prostitute -- that would best exploit Ms. Lee's bionic blonde attributes. —  F ;SF; - vol 091 issue 04-05 - October-November 1996
  • He may at times have complained of the difficulties which arose from the reluctance of the King to follow his advice, but he himself felt that it was a source of strength to him that he had to explain, justify, and recommend his policy to the King. —  Bismarck and the Foundation of the German Empire
  • Whenever one of their people seem to commit some crime that they cannot justify, that is the blanket excuse that they use to dismiss their actions from the plate. —  Planet Atheism
  • Post: To justify or not to justify, that is my question!
  • They all have the ability to justify which is good for them or not. —  Top stories from Times Online
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Roget's II Roget's II: The New Thesaurus

Allen's Allen's Synonyms and Antonyms

Used in the same context Used in the Same Context

Used in the same contextWord Family

justify:   justifying ·  justified ·  justifies
Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary. Copyright © 2003, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Etymologies (2)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Middle English justifien, from Old French justifier, from Late Latin iūstificāre, from Latin, to act justly toward : iūstus, just; see just1 + -ficāre, -fy.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (1)

  1. from ME.justifien, from Old French (and F.) justifier = Spanish Portuguese justificar = Italian giustificare, from LL, justificare, act justly toward, do justice to, justify, from justificus, that acts justly, from Latin justus, just, + facere, do.
 

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/ˈdʒəstɪfai/
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