verb (used with object) justifies , present (3rd person singular) justified , past participle, past justifying present participle to show (an act, claim, statement, etc.) to be just or right. The end does not always justify the means. Synonyms: validate , vindicate to show (an act, claim, statement, etc.) to be just or right. The end does not always justify the means. to defend or uphold as warranted or well-grounded. Don't try to justify his rudeness. Synonyms: excuse to defend or uphold as warranted or well-grounded. Don't try to justify his rudeness. Theology. to declare innocent or guiltless; absolve ; acquit Theology. to declare innocent or guiltless; absolve ; acquit Printing. 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. to level and square (a strike). 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. 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. to level and square (a strike). to level and square (a strike). verb (used without object) justifies , present (3rd person singular) justified , past participle, past justifying present participle Law. to show a satisfactory reason or excuse for something done. to qualify as bail or surety. to show a satisfactory reason or excuse for something done. to show a satisfactory reason or excuse for something done. to qualify as bail or surety. to qualify as bail or surety. Printing. (of a line of type) to fit exactly into a desired length. Printing. (of a line of type) to fit exactly into a desired length. (often passive) to prove or see to be just or valid; vindicate he was certainly justified in taking the money (often passive) to prove or see to be just or valid; vindicate he was certainly justified in taking the money to show to be reasonable; warrant or substantiate his behaviour justifies our suspicion to show to be reasonable; warrant or substantiate his behaviour justifies our suspicion to declare or show to be free from blame or guilt; absolve to declare or show to be free from blame or guilt; absolve law to show good reason in court for (some action taken) to show adequate grounds for doing (that with which a person is charged) to justify a libel to show good reason in court for (some action taken) to show good reason in court for (some action taken) to show adequate grounds for doing (that with which a person is charged) to justify a libel to show adequate grounds for doing (that with which a person is charged) to justify a libel (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 (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 Protestant theol to account or declare righteous by the imputation of Christ's merits to the sinner RC theol to change from sinfulness to righteousness by the transforming effects of grace Protestant theol to account or declare righteous by the imputation of Christ's merits to the sinner Protestant theol to account or declare righteous by the imputation of Christ's merits to the sinner RC theol to change from sinfulness to righteousness by the transforming effects of grace RC theol to change from sinfulness to righteousness by the transforming effects of grace (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 (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 prejustify verb (used with object) rejustify verb (used with object) justifyingly adverb Inflected Forms justifying present Conjugated Forms justifies simple have justified perfect has justified perfect am justifying progressive are justifying progressive is justifying progressive have been justifying perfect progressive has been justifying perfect progressive

justified simple had justified perfect was justifying progressive were justifying progressive had been justifying perfect progressive will justify simple will have justified perfect will be justifying progressive will have been justifying perfect progressive 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 To justify is to make excuses for one's actions, like the dieter who has to justify the few tiny pieces of chocolate she's sneaked in between salads. Anyone who has ever made excuses for his or her actions knows the meaning of justify , like the bank robber who justifies his latest heist by claiming he needs the bank's money to support his charitable foundation. He might think he's got a good reason for holding up the bank, but he's going to have a hard time convincing the bank's owner of his reason, or justification . To justify a line of text is to space it so that it lines up with the margin. Vocabulary lists containing justify The Vocabulary.com Top 1000 Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide! Essential Academic Vocabulary for High School Students, List 3 Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use! You Be the Judge: Jud, Jur, Jus Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time! 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. See Examples For: "Cole needs to step up when he comes and he needs to show these kind of numbers to get his place, keep his shirt and justify the nomination." From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026 Whataboutism, it seems, has become a luxury good that is much harder to justify when times are hard. From Salon ● Sep. 18, 2026 “Nothing can justify the murder of innocent civilians. Nothing,” he says in it. From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026 “No amount of American competitive pressure should justify recklessness,” he said. From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026 “You realize, the relations between my people and the Northlanders are perfectly cordial. It would be difficult for me to justify disturbing them.” From "The Golden Compass" by Philip Pullman Anthropic will have to get to its own market projection without owning a declining microblogging platform, and until its documents are public, we won’t know how the company justifies it. From Slate ● Sep. 1, 2026 It justifies the name change by saying that the deepest part of the lake is on the American side, meaning that the United States "claims most of the Lake's volume." From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026 That broad influence justifies the “Mother of the Blues” appellation, even if it was a marketing term to begin with. From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026 We could rearrange the portfolios differently to tamp down the risk, selecting companies that are not projected to grow so quickly, but the current market environment justifies the risk — and will reward it. From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026 In the latter case it is often government that organizes the conquest, and religion that justifies it. From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond Having Bryan be defined by his entirely justified terror keeps the audience engaged; the possible ways he might fail seem infinite. From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026 The German philosopher Hegel considered Sophocles’ “Antigone” the high-water mark of tragedy for the way it dramatizes the collision between two equally justified moral positions. From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026 Denton and her colleagues decided to test whether that assumption was justified . From Science Daily ● Sep. 11, 2026 Ultimately, it’s a lost cause, because his fears are justified . From Salon ● Sep. 9, 2026 “Lizzy, I bear you no ill-will for being justified in your advice to me last May, which, considering the event, shows some greatness of mind.” From "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen Understanding why he matters means understanding that the modern federal government is shaped not only by elected officials but also by attorneys who craft legal arguments justifying government action. From Slate ● Aug. 4, 2026 In the wake of the 1994 genocide, Alison Des Forges, then a senior adviser to Human Rights Watch, pointed to genocide inversion as a central means of justifying the genocide against the Tutsis. From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026 The practice is so unusual that an internal waiver justifying the choice is typically required. From Salon ● Jul. 21, 2026 In justifying the repeal of its former rule, the SEC argued that repeal made negotiating settlements easier and cheaper — thus, sparing the SEC’s scarce resources. From MarketWatch ● Jun. 17, 2026 “The ends justifying the means is something a ruthless dictator might say, not a philosopher.” From "Millionaires for the Month" by Stacey McAnulty 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. Just like flashcards, but way more fun Don't take our word for it. Leave the boring studying behind and join VocabTrainer today. You'll learn even faster and never look back.