ˈjəstəˌfī verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English justifien, from Middle French or Late Latin; Middle French justifier, from Old French, from Late Latin justificare, from Latin justus just + -ficare -fy — more at just
transitive verb
1.
a.
(1) : to prove or show to be just, desirable, warranted, or useful : vindicate
science justifies itself when it contributes to the desire to know — Scientific American Reader
justified to herself his every fault — Ruth Park
most cats must justify themselves by catching mice — Charlton Laird
justify the ways of God to man — John Milton
undertaking to justify a single scale of rates for the entire country — Collier's Year Book
the welcome he received justified his visit — A.R.Forde
(2) obsolete : to confirm, maintain, or acknowledge as true, lawful, or legitimate
b. : to prove or show to be valid, sound, or conforming to fact or reason : furnish grounds or evidence for : confirm , support , verify
their immediate jubilant reaction has been abundantly justified by the sales — Peter Forster
attempts to justify his definition of cartography — Geographical Journal
insinuation of personal interest as a determining factor seems to me not justified by the facts shown — O.W.Holmes †1935
justified my fondest hopes — D.G.Gerahty
c.
(1) : to show to have had a sufficient legal reason (as that the libel charged is true or that the trespass charged was by license of the possessor) for (an act made the subject of a charge or accusation)
(2) : to qualify (oneself) as a surety by taking oath to the ownership of sufficient property
2.
a. archaic : to execute justice upon : administer justice to
b. archaic : to pronounce free from guilt or blame : absolve
I think — or at least hope — you would have justified me — George Meredith
c. : to judge, regard, or treat as righteous, worthy of salvation, or as freed from the future penalty of sin
God justifies with his forgiveness and grace the man who comes to him — Will Herberg
3.
a. : to make level and square the body of (a typefounder's strike)
b. : to set to fit the measure or space closely (as a line of type, matrices, photocomposition, typewriting) or so that all full lines are of equal length and flush right and left (as typewritten matter)
c. : to cause to align evenly at the bottom (as letters of different size)
d. : to adjust to fit and lock up securely (set letterpress matter)
intransitive verb
1.
a. : to show a sufficient lawful reason (as that the plaintiff consented to an act alleged to be a trespass) for an act done or not done
b. : to qualify as bail or surety by taking oath to the ownership of sufficient property
the surety justified on the bail bond
2. : to accept and receive as just or righteous those who respond in wholehearted faith to God as revealed by Jesus Christ
believing with all their being that God justified through faith — John Dillenberger & Claude Welch
3. printing
a. : to be capable of or susceptible of justification
b. : to become justified
Synonyms: see explain , maintain