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.
Friday’s ruling offered each side new grounds to claim vindication in a legal battle that has played out as much in public statements as in court filings.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 12, 2026
The recent software rally has offered some vindication for bulls who stood by their contrarian calls after a brutal selloff wracked the sector earlier this year.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 1, 2026
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
Hunter-Neill's solicitor Victoria Haddock, of Phoenix Law, described the settlement by TalkTV as a "vindication of my client's reputation".
From BBC • May 17, 2026
And he had, though it wasn’t for fun but vindication: to prove to the world that the investment-grade bonds he had bet against were indeed entirely without value.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
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.
