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: While experts and analysts have been concerned about the strength and longevity of the AI boom, Anthropic’s investors say the demand for the company’s services would justify that valuation, the Financial Times reported Thursday. From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026 Concerns held by Painter and Meadows over whether M11 was "going to be enough" for McCormick to justify the move across the world were soon dispelled. From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026 Writing to a friend about this bold retrospective, Sand asserts that “the public is too ignoble for me . . . either to accuse myself or to justify myself about anything before it.” From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026 A poorly selected target might require so much fuel that the value of the metals brought back would not justify the mission. From Science Daily ● Aug. 7, 2026 Had not they locked arms together as “Publius” to justify the need for a national government with sovereign power over the states? From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis That justifies a premium of a few percentage points. From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 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 "Nothing justifies these substantial harms to competition," the lawsuit states. From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026 "This research justifies a strong precautionary approach against introductions of extraterrestrial origin." From Science Daily ● Jul. 6, 2026 Among other things the law justifies is the experimenter’s belief that the average of a bunch of measurements of some quantity should approach the true value of the quantity as the number of measurements increases. From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos But Bordeaux prosecutor Renaud Gaudeul told Le Monde that a tough approach was justified by current circumstances. From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026 And I’ll make my financial case for how I justified writing a lump-sum check to a travel agency so large that I could picture my bank account clutching its proverbial pearls. From MarketWatch ● Aug. 4, 2026 Garcia was fired in 2024 for tardiness and absences that he claims were justified . From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026 The judge at the latest bail hearing justified a refusal to free him because Lukwago did not have a certificate from his doctor stating that he cannot be treated in prison. From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026 No doubt Sir Lancelot would like to make an explanation of the trouble, so that the Church may be justified in her reconciliation.” From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White The majority didn’t issue an opinion justifying its ruling. From Salon ● Jul. 3, 2026 The Times quotes officials justifying the order by saying it would reduce duplication of effort; our own spies wouldn’t bother recruiting someone if they knew he or she was already an agent. From Slate ● Jul. 1, 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 Bassist and singer Geddy Lee, his voice eerily well-preserved for a 72-year-old, rode the contours of these numbers with electrifying menace and character, justifying all the risks inherent in this reunion tour. From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 8, 2026 The nickname began generations ago, but each generation took on the mantle of justifying it. From "The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates" by Wes Moore 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. Dictionary.com's Learning Companion Go beyond just looking up words. Remember them forever with VocabTrainer.