verb (used with object) vindicates , present (3rd person singular) vindicated , past participle, past vindicating present participle to clear, as from an accusation, imputation, suspicion, or the like. to vindicate someone's honor. Synonyms: exonerate to clear, as from an accusation, imputation, suspicion, or the like. to vindicate someone's honor. to afford justification for; justify . Subsequent events vindicated his policy. to afford justification for; justify . Subsequent events vindicated his policy. to uphold or justify by argument or evidence. to vindicate a claim. Synonyms: substantiate to uphold or justify by argument or evidence. to vindicate a claim. to assert, maintain, or defend (a right, cause, etc.) against opposition. Synonyms: substantiate to assert, maintain, or defend (a right, cause, etc.) against opposition. to claim for oneself or another. to claim for oneself or another. Roman and Civil Law. to regain possession, under claim of title of property through legal procedure, or to assert one's right to possession. Roman and Civil Law. to regain possession, under claim of title of property through legal procedure, or to assert one's right to possession. to get revenge for; avenge . to get revenge for; avenge . Obsolete. to deliver from; liberate. Obsolete. to deliver from; liberate. Obsolete. to punish. Obsolete. to punish. to clear from guilt, accusation, blame, etc, as by evidence or argument to clear from guilt, accusation, blame, etc, as by evidence or argument to provide justification for his promotion vindicated his unconventional attitude to provide justification for his promotion vindicated his unconventional attitude to uphold, maintain, or defend (a cause, etc) to vindicate a claim to uphold, maintain, or defend (a cause, etc) to vindicate a claim Roman law to bring an action to regain possession of (property) under claim of legal title Roman law to bring an action to regain possession of (property) under claim of legal title rare to claim, as for oneself or another rare to claim, as for oneself or another obsolete to take revenge on or for; punish obsolete to take revenge on or for; punish obsolete to set free obsolete to set free Other Word Forms vindicator noun revindicate verb (used with object) self-vindicated adjective self-vindicating adjective unvindicated adjective vindicatory adjective Inflected Forms vindicating present vindicated past Conjugated Forms vindicate simple vindicates simple have vindicated perfect has vindicated perfect am vindicating progressive are vindicating progressive is vindicating progressive have been vindicating perfect progressive has been vindicating perfect progressive vindicated simple had vindicated perfect

was vindicating progressive were vindicating progressive had been vindicating perfect progressive will vindicate simple will have vindicated perfect will be vindicating progressive will have been vindicating perfect progressive Origin of vindicate First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin vindicātus (past participle of vindicāre “to lay legal claim to (property); to free (someone) from servitude (by claiming him as free); to protect, avenge, punish),“ equivalent to vindic- (stem of vindex “claimant, protector, avenger”) + -ātus -ate 1 Vindicate means to justify, prove, or reinforce an idea — or to absolve from guilt. If your family thinks you hogged the last piece of pie on Thanksgiving, you'll be vindicated when your younger brother fesses up. Vindicate derives from the Latin vindicatus , which is the past tense of vindicare , meaning "lay claim to" or "avenge." When a physicist proves a theory that his colleagues derided, he vindicates it. When a lawyer clears her client's name in a trial, she vindicates him. Machiavelli argued that the results he got vindicated his tactics — in other words, the ends justified the means. Vocabulary lists containing vindicate 100 Top "SAT" Words 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! 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! The Scarlet Letter 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: If that version is ever unearthed, it may perhaps vindicate the director. From Salon ● Sep. 18, 2026 The worker just doesn’t get to vindicate their rights. From Slate ● Aug. 14, 2026 This would vindicate the Fed’s July caution in defying the clamor from the media and financial back benches to raise rates. From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026 The need "to punish the club and to vindicate those clubs who have complied with the relevant rules" is referenced. From BBC ● Mar. 17, 2026 She was hoping this testimony was going to seal it, vindicate all the effort, the pretrial preparation, the way she and others had extended themselves to take on Reggie. From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar added on X that the decision "vindicates Pakistan's consistent position that a binding international treaty cannot be unilaterally suspended or set aside". From Barron's ● Aug. 31, 2026 To AI-safety experts, it vindicates what they have been warning about all along: that AI systems would cause real-world harms and evade attempts to control them. From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 1, 2026 These analysts will claim that the stock market’s huge rally to begin this week’s trading vindicates their beliefs. From MarketWatch ● Mar. 23, 2026 This is a moment really that vindicates truth-telling. From Slate ● Nov. 7, 2025 But Dr. Thausing, in his new and exhaustive history of Dürer’s life, vindicates the lady from this evil charge; and his position is carefully reviewed and sustained by Eugéne Müntz. From Dürer Artist-Biographies by M. F. Sweetser Admirers cheered that the court had at last vindicated Andrew Johnson. From Slate ● Sep. 16, 2026 He will now feel vindicated - but there is one important distinction to make. From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026 They differed over whether that protection damned the Constitution or vindicated it. From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026 Economists who don’t think the Fed needs to hike this year felt vindicated . From MarketWatch ● Aug. 7, 2026 He was glad to have stuck it out in the fog and felt vindicated somehow. From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson So watching the rest of the world finally catch up feels a little vindicating . From Salon ● Jul. 7, 2026 A second theme for this Court is vindicating liberties in the Bill of Rights. From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026 But the case was a close one with only five justices full-throatedly vindicating the Fourth Amendment’s privacy protection goals. From Slate ● Jul. 1, 2026 And you know, there are fewer things in life more vindicating than a guy dumping you and then crawling right back. From Los Angeles Times ● May 15, 2026 Thus vindicating those who bore influence in her formative years. From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote 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. Look it up. Learn it forever. Remember new words for good with VocabTrainer. Expand your vocabulary effortlessly with personalized learning tools that adapt to your goals.