self-justification

American  

[self-juhs-tuh-fi-key-shuhn, self-] / ˈsɛlfˌdʒʌs tə fɪˈkeɪ ʃən, ˌsɛlf- /

noun

1. the act or fact of justifying oneself, especially of offering excessive reasons, explanations, excuses, etc., for an act, thought, or the like.

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self-justification British  

noun

1. the act or an instance of justifying or providing excuses for one's own behaviour, etc

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Etymology

Origin of self-justification

First recorded in 1765–75

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

self-justification

During his time in prison he was visited by his two-year-old daughter, whose arrival had given him the motivation, or perhaps self-justification, to turn to the fixers in the first place.

From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2024

While Herschel isn’t really learning from each new mistake for much of the book, his interior searching gives Lipstein a chance to offer up thought-provoking commentary, even when it feels like self-justification.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2023

Barr’s attempted self-justification would be funny if the consequences of his silence hadn’t been so dire.

From Washington Post ● Mar. 4, 2022

Imagine a snow cone that’s part obsession, part self-justification, part masculine fragility, sweetened with self-pity and sweat, and you’re mostly there.

From New York Times ● Aug. 24, 2021

“But I did get to speak to him,” the chaplain argued in a plaintive tone of self-justification.

From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller