What does "justify" mean?
To provide an acceptable explanation for.
Justify
/ˈd͡ʒʌstɪfaɪ/ verb
verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: To provide an acceptable explanation for.
- Grammar: justify is listed as verb.
- Nearest alternatives: vindicate, absolve, account, account for.
- Useful contrasts: apologizing, pitchforking, scapegoats.
- Usage evidence: Can you justify the use of violence?
How to use "justify"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "justify" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "justify" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "justify" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "justify" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "justify" is acting as verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "vindicate" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "justify", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Verb
- 1 To provide an acceptable explanation for. transitive
"How can you justify spending so much money on clothes?"
- 2 adjust the spaces between words wordnet
- 3 To be a good reason behind a normally-unacceptable action; to warrant. transitive
"Nothing can justify your rude behaviour last night."
- 4 show to be right by providing justification or proof wordnet
- 5 To arrange (text) on a page or a computer screen such that the left and right ends of all lines within paragraphs are aligned. transitive
"The text will look better justified."
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 (used of God) declare innocent; absolve from the penalty of sin wordnet
- 7 To absolve, and declare to be free of blame or sin. transitive
"I cannot justify whom the law condemns."
- 8 To give reasons for one’s actions; to make an argument to prove that one is in the right. reflexive
"She felt no need to justify herself for deciding not to invite him."
- 9 To prove; to ratify; to confirm. transitive
"She is not dead at Tarsus, as she should have been, By savage Cleon: she shall tell thee all; When thou shalt kneel, and justify in knowledge She is thy very princess."
- 10 To show (a person) to have had a sufficient legal reason for an act that has been made the subject of a charge or accusation.
- 11 To qualify (oneself) as a surety by taking oath to the ownership of sufficient property.
"J'USTIFYING BAIL, practice, is the production of bail in court, who there justify' themselves against the exception of the plaintiff."
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Can you justify the use of violence?"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "justify"?
Common synonyms include: vindicate, absolve, account, account for, account for individual differences, accounted.
How do you use "justify" in a sentence?
Can you justify the use of violence?
How do you pronounce "justify"?
Pronounced /ˈd͡ʒʌstɪfaɪ/.
Etymology
From Middle English justifien, from Old French justifier, from Late Latin justificare (“make just”), from Latin justus, iustus (“just”) + ficare (“make”), from facere, equivalent to just + -ify.