justify
Americanverb (used with object)
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to show (an act, claim, statement, etc.) to be just or right.
The end does not always justify the means.
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to defend or uphold as warranted or well-grounded.
Don't try to justify his rudeness.
- Synonyms:
- excuse
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Printing.
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to make (a line of type) a desired length by spacing the words and letters, especially so that full lines in a column have even margins both on the left and on the right.
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to level and square (a strike).
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verb (used without object)
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Law.
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to show a satisfactory reason or excuse for something done.
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to qualify as bail or surety.
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Printing. (of a line of type) to fit exactly into a desired length.
verb
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(often passive) to prove or see to be just or valid; vindicate
he was certainly justified in taking the money
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to show to be reasonable; warrant or substantiate
his behaviour justifies our suspicion
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to declare or show to be free from blame or guilt; absolve
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law
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to show good reason in court for (some action taken)
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to show adequate grounds for doing (that with which a person is charged)
to justify a libel
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(also intr) printing computing to adjust the spaces between words in (a line of type or data) so that it is of the required length or (of a line of type or data) to fit exactly
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Protestant theol to account or declare righteous by the imputation of Christ's merits to the sinner
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RC theol to change from sinfulness to righteousness by the transforming effects of grace
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(also intr) law to prove (a person) to have sufficient means to act as surety, etc, or (of a person) to qualify to provide bail or surety
Other Word Forms
- justifier noun
- justifyingly adverb
- prejustify verb (used with object)
- rejustify verb (used with object)
Etymology
Origin of justify
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English justifien, from Old French justifier, from Late Latin jūstificāre, equivalent to Latin jūsti- (combining form of jūstus just 1 ) + -ficāre -fy
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
One legitimate concern among cardiologists, says Blaha, is doctors who may inappropriately use a calcium score to justify doing a procedure, such as putting a stent in.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026
In his lawsuit, Bonta argued that Bianco failed to identify a specific crime in the warrants to justify seizing the ballots.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026
“While having SpaceX listed would bring substantial value to an exchange, this alone should not justify altering the method used to determine index inclusion,” Matturri wrote in a LinkedIn post.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 30, 2026
The US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, said it was an "unfortunate overreach" that was "difficult to understand or justify".
From BBC • Mar. 29, 2026
How can she justify leaving her children if she returns empty-handed?
From "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
