self-justifying

American  

[self-juhs-tuh-fahy-ing, self-] / ˌsɛlfˈdʒʌs təˌfaɪ ɪŋ, ˈsɛlf- /

adjective

1. offering excuses for oneself, especially in excess of normal demands.

2. automatically adjusting printed or typed lines to fill a given space, especially to conform to a rigid margin.

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self-justifying British  

adjective

1. offering excuses for one's behaviour, often when they are not called for

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Etymology

Origin of self-justifying

First recorded in 1730–40

Example Sentences

Speer’s reputation as a “good Nazi” was enhanced by his relentlessly self-justifying memoirs.

From The Wall Street Journal

“I am a loyal person,” Harris writes, which is not only self-justifying but has the slightly off-putting whiff of someone declaring, by golly, I’m just too honest.

From Los Angeles Times

Alongside the total failure and self-justifying mythology of the centrist ruling parties, there’s another failure that might almost be worse: the near-total defeat, disempowerment and internal disorder of the left.

From Salon

I won’t go into the parallel political crises in France and Germany in detail here, except to say that the circumstances are different in each case but the overall pattern is about the same — and that alongside the total failure and self-justifying mythology of the centrist ruling parties, there’s another failure whose long-term consequences may almost be worse.

From Salon

The licenses to kill were self-justifying.

From Salon