[jus.ti.fy] vb -fied ; -fy.ing [ME justifien, fr. MF or LL; MF justifier, fr. LL justificare, fr. L justus] vt (14c) 1 a: to prove or show to be just, right, or reasonable b (1): to show to have had a sufficient legal reason (2): to qualify (oneself) as a surety by taking oath to the ownership of sufficient property
2. a archaic: to administer justice to b archaic: absolve c: to judge, regard, or treat as righteous and worthy of salvation 3 a: to space (as lines of text) so that the lines come out even at the margin b: to make even by justifying "justified margins" ~ vi 1 a: to show a sufficient lawful reason for an act done b: to qualify as bail or surety
2: to justify lines of text syn see maintain -- jus.ti.fi.er n