JUSTIFY

verb (-fied; -fying) Etymology: Middle English justifien, from Anglo-French or Late Latin; Anglo-French justifier, from Late Latin justificare, from Latin justus Date: 14th century transitive verb 1. to prove or show to be just, right, or reasonable, b. to show to have had a sufficient legal reason, to qualify (oneself) as a surety by taking oath to the ownership of sufficient property, 2. to administer justice to, absolve , to judge, regard, or treat as righteous and worthy of salvation, 3. to space (as lines of text) so that the lines come out even at the margin, to make even by ~ing , intransitive verb 1. to show a sufficient lawful reason for an act done, to qualify as bail or surety, to ~ lines of text, see: maintain justifier noun