justify

American  

[juhs-tuh-fahy] / ˈdʒʌs təˌfaɪ /

verb (used with object)

• justifies,
  present (3rd person singular)
• justified,
  past participle,  past
• justifying
  present participle

1. to show (an act, claim, statement, etc.) to be just or right.

   The end does not always justify the means.

   Synonyms:

   validate, vindicate

2. to defend or uphold as warranted or well-grounded.

   Don't try to justify his rudeness.

   Synonyms:

   excuse

3. Theology. to declare innocent or guiltless; absolve; acquit

4. Printing.

   1. 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.

   2. to level and square (a strike).

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verb (used without object)

• justifies,
  present (3rd person singular)
• justified,
  past participle,  past
• justifying
  present participle

1. Law.

   1. to show a satisfactory reason or excuse for something done.

   2. to qualify as bail or surety.

2. Printing. (of a line of type) to fit exactly into a desired length.

justify British  

/ ˈdʒʌstɪˌfaɪ /

verb

1. (often passive) to prove or see to be just or valid; vindicate

   he was certainly justified in taking the money

2. to show to be reasonable; warrant or substantiate

   his behaviour justifies our suspicion

3. to declare or show to be free from blame or guilt; absolve

4. law

   1. to show good reason in court for (some action taken)

   2. to show adequate grounds for doing (that with which a person is charged)

      to justify a libel

5. (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

6. 1. Protestant theol to account or declare righteous by the imputation of Christ's merits to the sinner

   2. RC theol to change from sinfulness to righteousness by the transforming effects of grace

7. (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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• justifier
  noun
• prejustify
  verb (used with object)
• rejustify
  verb (used with object)
• justifyingly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Participles

• justifying
  present
• justified
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• justify
  simple
• 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

Past

• justified
  simple
• had justified
  perfect
• was justifying
  progressive
• were justifying
  progressive
• had been justifying
  perfect progressive

Future

• will justify
  simple
• will have justified
  perfect
• will be justifying
  progressive
• will have been justifying
  perfect progressive

Etymology

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

Explanation

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

justify justifies justified justifying

Are they just trying to justify their positions by keeping you active in the market?

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026

He will justify his price tag if he can repeat that in this campaign.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

"A few weeks ago, traders were being asked to justify why the Fed should not hike again," said Stephen Innes, global strategist at Quintex Intel.

From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026

Best Buy is trying to convince consumers that its new line of RGB LED TVs represents a big enough viewing advance to finally justify a living-room upgrade.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026

I thought I had to have a trapline to justify running the dogs, so I kept the line.

From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen

“This is reflected in the ever-shorter and ever-shallower dips in key indexes, and by the relatively violent reactions when good news justifies an upward revaluation,” he adds.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 7, 2026

That broad influence justifies the “Mother of the Blues” appellation, even if it was a marketing term to begin with.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 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

I know what my mother is—she is someone for whom the end of a thing justifies the means of getting there, the same as my father, and the same, sometimes, as me.

From "Allegiant" by Veronica Roth

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

Few doubt Fedorov's commitment, imagination and drive, but some question whether his outsized reputation is fully justified.

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

Kyiv calls its strikes "long-range sanctions", saying the attacks are justified retribution for Russia's more than four-year offensive and nightly attacks on its cities.

From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026

“Our country has changed,” Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. wrote for the majority, arguing that the law’s original requirements were no longer justified.

From "Because They Marched" by Russell Freedman

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 former was divided between admiration of the brilliancy which exercise had given to her complexion, and doubt as to the occasion’s justifying her coming so far alone.

From "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen

Related Words

• advocate
• condone
• confirm
• countenance
• defend
• explain
• favor
• maintain
• rationalize
• support
• sustain
• uphold
• validate
• vindicate
• warrant