vindication
Americannoun
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the act of vindicating.
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the state of being vindicated.
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defense; excuse; justification.
Poverty was a vindication for his thievery.
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something that vindicates.
Subsequent events were her vindication.
noun
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the act of vindicating or the condition of being vindicated
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a means of exoneration from an accusation
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a fact, evidence, circumstance, etc, that serves to vindicate a theory or claim
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of vindication
First recorded in 1475–85; from Latin vindicātiōn-, stem of vindicātiō “defense, punishment, vengeance”; equivalent to vindicate + -ion
Explanation
Vindication is a sweet thing — when you get vindication, you've been proven right or justified in doing something. Everyone accused of a crime craves vindication. Vindication is good, but it can only come after something bad, like being accused of something you didn't do. If a teacher thought you cheated, but then announced to the whole class that you didn't, you're getting vindication. An accused criminal who is exonerated — cleared of the crime — gets vindication. If you believe something crazy — like that your underdog sports team could win a championship — and it comes true, that's a vindication of your beliefs.
Vocabulary lists containing vindication
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
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The Kite Runner
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A Thousand Splendid Suns
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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.
Many defendants prefer to settle cases when they believe they did nothing wrong because fighting the agency is expensive and obtaining vindication can take years.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026
"And it's a vindication for many, many other survivors because our stories are very, very similar," she said.
From Barron's • May 7, 2026
She says she feels "vindication" and "validation" that her case has been recognised by the British government.
From BBC • Apr. 29, 2026
For Kennedy’s critics in Washington, the ruling was vindication.
From Salon • Mar. 18, 2026
Shouldering my way to the side I stood in a doorway and watched them move, feeling a certain vindication as now I thought of the message that had brought me here.
From "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison
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.
