Definition of justifies in English

Part of speech

🔤

justifies, verb, present, 3rd person singular of justify (infinitive).

WordNet

Verb justifies, justifying, justified
justify - show to be right by providing justification or proof; "vindicate a claim"
		vindicate
		uphold, maintain stand up for; stick up for; of causes, principles, or ideals
		explain, excuse make plain and comprehensible; "He explained the laws of physics to his students"
		legitimate make (an illegitimate child) legitimate; declare the legitimacy of (someone); "They legitimized their natural child"
justify - show to be reasonable or provide adequate ground for; "The emergency does not warrant all of us buying guns"; "The end justifies the means"
		warrant
		reassert, confirm make more firm; "Confirm thy soul in self-control!"
justify - adjust the spaces between words; "justify the margins"
		adjust, correct, set adapt or conform oneself to new or different conditions; "We must adjust to the bad economic situation"
		printing the business of producing printed material for sale or distribution
justify - defend, explain, clear away, or make excuses for by reasoning; "rationalize the child's seemingly crazy behavior"; "he rationalized his lack of success"
		apologize, apologise, excuse, rationalize, rationalise
		fend for, defend, support argue or speak in defense of; "She supported the motion to strike"
		gloss, color, colour provide an interlinear translation of a word or phrase
		plead appeal or request earnestly; "I pleaded with him to stop"
		extenuate, mitigate, palliate lessen or to try to lessen the seriousness or extent of; "The circumstances extenuate the crime"
justify - let off the hook; "I absolve you from this responsibility"
		absolve, free
		fault, blame attribute responsibility to; "We blamed the accident on her"; "The tragedy was charged to her inexperience"
		forgive stop blaming or grant forgiveness; "I forgave him his infidelity"; "She cannot forgive him for forgetting her birthday"
		let off, exempt, excuse, relieve grant relief or an exemption from a rule or requirement to; "She exempted me from the exam"
		wash one's hands to absolve oneself of responsibility or future blame; "I wash my hands of this"

= synonym
= antonym
= related word

Wiktionary

justify (Verb)
To provide an acceptable explanation for.
justify (Verb)
To be a good, acceptable reason for; warrant.
justify (Verb)
To arrange text on a page or a computer screen such that the left and right ends of all lines within paragraphs are aligned.
justify (Verb)
To absolve, and declare to be free of blame or sin.

Webster DictionaryWebster's Unabridged Dictionary 📘

justify (a.)
To prove or show to be just; to vindicate; to maintain or defend as conformable to law, right, justice, propriety, or duty.
justify (a.)
To pronounce free from guilt or blame; to declare or prove to have done that which is just, right, proper, etc.; to absolve; to exonerate; to clear.
justify (a.)
To treat as if righteous and just; to pardon; to exculpate; to absolve.
justify (a.)
To prove; to ratify; to confirm.
justify (a.)
To make even or true, as lines of type, by proper spacing; to adjust, as type. See Justification, 4.
justify (v. i.)
To form an even surface or true line with something else; to fit exactly.
justify (v. i.)
To take oath to the ownership of property sufficient to qualify one's self as bail or surety.

Chambers DictionaryChamber's 20th Century Dictionary 📕

justify
jus′ti-fī, v.t. to make just: to prove or show to be just or right: to vindicate: to absolve:—pr.p. jus′tifying; pa.p. jus′tified.—adj. Justifī′able, that may be justified or defended.—n. Justifī′ableness.—adv. Justifī′ably.—n. Justificā′tion, vindication: absolution: a plea of sufficient reason for.—adjs. Jus′tificātive, Jus′tificātory, having power to justify.—n. Jus′tifier, one who defends, or vindicates: he who pardons and absolves from guilt and punishment.—Justification by faith, the doctrine that men are justified by faith in Christ. [Fr.,—L. justificāre—justus, just, facĕre, to make.]